The Princess and the Pirate
by Itban Fuyu
Summary: AU. Dipper is the son of a famous pirate captain and Mabel is the princess of the realm. What if Dipper and his father decide to kidnap the princess to obtain the largest ransom in history? Trouble, chaos and romance, of course! Mabel's kidnap changes everything, they find out secrets and even something that may change the fate of the whole kingdom. MabXDip/Pinecest.
1. 0 - Prologue

**Please read the author's note before you start reading, it's important!**

 **As you can see by the summary, this is a "Pinecest" fic, even though I wouldn't call it that because since it is AU, they are not the same Pine Twins in the "Gravity Falls" universe that grew up together and their last name aren't Pines like in the show.**

 **But before anyone start saying this is wrong anyway or something, just remember that this is a fictional story, they are fictional characters and it takes place in a fictional world I created.**

 **I am not saying incest is good, nor that GF Dipper and Mabel should date or that brothers and sisters should get together. However, there's nothing wrong with fake incest, it is not _real_ , so don't take it seriously. **

**I'm not harming anyone, so please don't go on flaming the story or the author just because you don't agree with something about it.** **Please, leave constructive criticism only, not flames.**

 ** _WARNING:_ If you hate seeing Dipper and Mabel together, then just don't read it. If you like Pinecest or if you're struggling to decide to like it or not, then you're probably going to enjoy this fic. **

**Rate: T (for future violence, language and minor suggestive adult themes)**

 **Disclaimer: I obviously don't own GF or its characters otherwise I'd be working for Disney instead...**

 **Claimer: I do own the world this story takes place and the characters that are not from GF.**

 _ **The cover was made by me, this and other drawings are in my DA page, the link is in my profile.**_

* * *

 **Prologue**

Off the shores of Capitol Alyoth, a pirate ship approached at amazing speed. Even at that distance, the captain could see the shape of the walls of an enormous construction: the palace.

"We're almost there, Captain." Dipper announced approaching his leader at the helm. He was the youngest of the crew at only 16 years old, but he was a rare strategic pirate who knew how to handle himself very well in close combat, he'd been training for years, dreaming to join piracy. And all of that made him a very young second in command.

"I know, Kid."

"Captain, we went over this before, but are you sure we should do this? Isn't it a bit too dangerous? We won't have the ship close by to escape."

"Yes. That's why I told you it's gonna be just you and me in the castle. It's easier to sneak in with fewer people doing it."

"I know, Captain. I recall you saying that, it's already been planned… Anyway, I heard they're going to have a party. A ball or something. So, will we really be able to do it with so many people around?"

"Of course. If we can do this all in the right time, when the King notices something's missing, we'll already be setting sail. Since a ball is happening, all of the guards will be occupied with it and most of them will be at either the entrance or the surroundings."

"By the way, you said we'd be using secret passages, how do you know about them?"

The Captain laughed, steering the helm for a turn and approaching the docks. He already told the crew they had to restock the ship in record time and have it all ready to leave by the time he and Dipper got back with what they had come for.

"Kid, when you've been a pirate for as long as I have, you'll meet people and learn some stuff in order to survive. Turns out I met someone who lived in the castle for too long and knows every inch of it. You know I've been planning something big like this for quite some time now."

"Indeed, Captain. Which makes me wonder why. Why are you so focused on doing it?"

"A pirate needs to be known by his bold actions and feared for his power. Some would rather be known and feared for being ruthless and merciless, killing just for fun and wiping out entire cities for a bunch of gold. Others like to kidnap and torture victims to be known as vicious pirates. And then, there are people like me, who are in it for the money and the treasures. So in this case, we have to be known for great performances, so both our allies and enemies won't forget us. And that's why we need to accomplish something so great that it has never been done before."

"Like robbing the King right under his nose?" Dipper said with a half-smile on his face. The Captain turned to look at him with a playful and proud grin.

"Yes. That's why we're kidnapping his daughter tonight. So we can receive the largest ransom in history and be known and feared around the entire kingdom, Son."

* * *

 **This was short, but it was only the beginning! And the chap was edited by my really nice beta, Ladipretender! Thanks os much for it, girl! :D**

 **Please don't forget to review on your way out!**

 **.**

 _ **If you liked it, please consider helping me on Patrion, the link is on my profile :D**_


	2. 1 - The Kidnapping

**Now it's edited by my wonderful beta, Ladipretender! Thanks so much, girl! :D**

 **I got to update faster than I imagined! Thanks for all the people who reviewed! Feedback is important!**

 **This is a "Pinecest" fic, even though I wouldn't call it like that because it is AU and they're not the same Pine Twins in the "Gravity Falls" show that grew up together. But before anyone start saying this is wrong anyway or something, just remember that this is a fictional story, they are fictional characters and it takes place in a fictional world I created.**

 **I am not saying incest is good, nor that GF Dipper and Mabel should date or that brothers and sisters should get together. However, there's nothing wrong with fake incest, it is not _real_ , so don't take it seriously.**

 **I'm not harming anyone, so please don't go on flaming the story or the author just because you don't agree with something about it.** **Please, leave constructive criticism only, not flames.**

 ** _WARNING:_ If you hate seeing Dipper and Mabel together, then just don't read it. If you like pinecest or if you're struggling to decide to like it or not, then you're probably going to enjoy this fic.**

 _ **The cover was made by me, this and other drawings are in my DA page, the link is in my profile, if you're interested, please go check it out.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 01**

 _ **The Kidnapping**_

Dipper sighed heavily. He was very nervous for his first kidnapping, but he was sure he'd succeed; he had planned it well enough and played a thousand different scenarios in his head. He was ready for anything that might cross his path. Even though he had been a pirate for only two years, he was well trained and confident in his abilities.

The pirate captain and Dipper jumped out of the ship as soon as it had ported at a distant, and safe, place at the docks. Both headed to the King's palace. The Ball had yet to start and they decided it would be the best possible time. They could get the princess as soon as she was ready and arriving at the Ball to receive the guests. When everyone notices she's missing, they'd already be far away.

But Captain Roderick was no fool; he had a backup plan as well. If they couldn't reach her before the party, then they would get her by midnight, when she retreated to her chambers after partying. And then people would only notice her absence the next morning. Though he'd rather get in, get her and get out in a blink of an eye.

"... So don't worry about me. I know my way out of the castle. You just get the princess and get out as soon as you can. Am I clear?" His father told him as they walked through the docks.

"Aye, Captain. Crystal clear."

"Great. And what are you doing?"

Dipper looked to the side as if he was a bit embarrassed. "I'm just going through my checklist... for the third time..."

"Pirates don't do checklists, Son. And we don't check them three times. We just go and do stuff. Sometimes you need to improvise, you know? And it won't be on a plot or scheme you went over in your head."

"Relax, Dad, I planned everything."

"Planned? Tell me you didn't do one of those over complicated list-y-things…"

"Hum… What do you think I'm checking here?"

"Maybe I should go back and ask for someone a bit more experienced to do this… Maybe Wendy or Robbie would manage better." Roderick said, worried for his son, running a nervous hand through his dark blond hair.

"Hey, Dad, chill. I can do this, okay? I've wanted to do something like it for long while. And even though my first ransom is going to be over an annoying, royal little brat who's probably going to nag the whole way, I want to do this. You can trust me."

His father sighed, rubbing his badly shaved beard as he wondered. He wanted his son to do this, but he wanted to know he was really able to.

"Okay then, Son. But if something goes wrong, just get out of there, with or without her. Do you hear me?"

"Aye, Captain!" Dipper said, excited, following his leader.

It didn't take long before they exited the village area around the docks and entered the forest that surrounded the enormous walls of the castle. Getting closer, Dipper gulped, realizing just how big it was.

"Dad, how are we going to find that girl in that place? The walls are probably like 400 meters wide…"

"Actually it is more like 300. And that's great, it will be easier to hide once we're inside." Roderick said matter-of-factly. His left arm was holding the lamp ahead to light their way inside the forest. "Now follow me into the woods. We need to find the entrance to the secret passage and the sun is already setting."

"Right. About that, how do you know where to find it? And how did you manage to get the maps you showed me?"

"I already told you a billion times. From someone I met in this bloody city."

"Do you come here a lot, Dad?"

Captain Roderick laughed ironically as he raised his lamp in front of him in order to look for the entrance of the hidden tunnel that would lead inside of the castle walls.

"Of course, Son. Stealing from the King right under his nose is my favorite sport, you know that. Here! We're here!" His father announced, kneeling on the floor, moving lots of dry leaves and large stones from the way. He found a plain circle of wood and removed it from its place, revealing tunnels beneath the floor. He jumped down and his son followed, landing gracefully.

"I know you told me someone gave you the maps, what I meant was how did you meet that person? Who is he? And how did you know about it in the first place?"

Roderick sighed, annoyed, lifting the lamp and starting to walk the narrow path. The tunnels were so slim; they had to walk in a line instead of side by side.

"Geez, you're just so curious! Asking too many questions for your own good. You got that from your Grunkle Stan, you know? Though you're more of a bookworm than he ever was…"

"Will you answer me or not? I think we do have a lot of walking to do and I'd like to know."

"Fine. From the beginning, the ancient King that built this castle was obsessed with getaways. He wanted a majestic castle with lots of secret passages that only he would know about, so if his enemies ever entered the gates, he'd already have escaped."

"I supposed he killed the ones who planned the passages, right? Since he wanted to be the only one to know…"

"Very observant, but he didn't need to, he was already very old and was dying anyway when the castle was finished."

"Oh…"

"Anyhow, that man I knew worked in the palace since he was very young, just a stable boy at the time, and he heard some stories about the hidden passages, so he used to look around all over the place for them. And he ended up finding some. One is the one we're using right now. Today he's an old man, and over the years, he mapped the ones he got to know and I met him at the village one time I came here. Turns out he also hates the King and he said he'd help me if I gave him and his family some money from the ransom. I also had to pay some things in advance as well, because he's obviously not stupid and he wouldn't give me the maps without receiving anything…"

"That's obvious. And of course he hates the King. Everyone hates the King. He lets people starve in his stupid kingdom and he just doesn't do anything about it!" Dipper said, annoyed. "So, where is this tunnel leading anyway?"

"The dungeons. There's another tunnel on the north side of the castle, but that leads to the Storage Room, and I think that might be crowded because of the ball. But just search for the kitchen if you need another way out. Behind the kitchen there are the storerooms, the pantry, the larder and the buttery. The passage is somewhere around the floor of the last one."

"Okay, but what if I can't go there either? What if there are too many guards around the dungeons and too many people in the way of the kitchen? See, that's the reason I told you it'd be better to get her after the bloody ball…"

"It has to be before it, Dipper. The longer the ship stays at the docks, the more likely it is to be spotted and recognized, even if it's in disguise. I'm not stupid to leave it docked for long every time I come here, too many guards for our own good. But it is the quickest way to leave town, and we're gonna need it."

"Okay, but is there another passage?" The boy asked shamelessly, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. He hated to show any kind of weakness, but he needed to know. Sometimes, the wisest thing to do was admit your ignorance.

"You saw the maps too, Son, didn't you?"

"Yeah, for hours, just like you did and just like you told me, but apparently I didn't understand it half as well as you did…"

"Well, there's another one, hidden under the ground of the dovecote, which is a rounded building between the south and middle ward. I advise you to be careful and to avoid that passage since you'd have to get out of the palace to reach it. You'll have to be very stealthy for it to work. But if you do, the tunnels that come from the dovecote lead into this one so you'll come out the same way we came in through."

"Okay. Got it." Dipper said, nodding, full of confidence, resisting the urge to note everything down. The young man also realized that they passed through another passage inside the tunnels and that it was probably what led to the dovecote, so he didn't even have to ask his father about it.

"We're here." His father announced putting the lamp in the corner of the narrow tunnel before touching the wall in front of him. It looked like a dead end, but he was sure he was in the right place. "Okay, Son, this is it. Remember what I told you, if we get in trouble, you leave even without her or me, okay? And try to be invisible, it's better not to waste your strength in futile battles and get away than just let your abilities get you in over your head."

"Right, Dad."

"Be careful."

"I always am."

Indeed, Dipper was probably one of the most careful guys Roderick had ever met, but it was a father's job to worry about his offspring and tell them to be careful. Even so, the experienced captain smiled.

"Great. Now help me push it out of the way."

Dipper nodded and helped his father push the wall in front of them. It took a while and the teenager was about to question if he was certain they were in the right place when it suddenly started to open with a creaking sound. The wall turned out to be a hidden door he could open by pulling one edge, and instead of opening from the side, it was from a central axis, so both sides would rotate around it; like a revolving door.

"It's a rotating door!" Dipper realized in amazement as they walked through it. Then, they pulled it from the other side to close it again, Dipper noticed that the irregular pattern of the stones on the wall helped in hiding the rotating door, since its shape was not square, it was very irregular. "So, really almost no one knows about these passages?"

"Of course not, Son. That's why they're called 'secret passages'. Now go, you get the princess, I'll be around to try and create some distraction, but only if I notice some commotion between the guards."

Dipper nodded and complied, though he'd never admit he was indeed a bit apprehensive about his mission. Not that he wouldn't manage, but that he might bring the wrong girl, after all, he'd never seen the princess before. In fact, until that day, he had never laid a foot before in his life and as far as he knew, the princess was so spoiled, so pampered that she'd never even left the castle grounds. His father knew what she looked like though, and had described her to him. Dipper hoped his depiction would be enough to find the correct girl.

"Okay. And I suppose you're not gonna leave empty handed, right?"

Captain Roderick grinned, closing the revolving door. The dungeon was dark and with no one to be seen. A simply perfect scenario for the two pirates. "Oh, Son, you know I'd _never_ leave empty handed from a castle."

* * *

Princess Mabel walked through the corridors of the palace, going back to her chambers. The palace seemed to be very quiet and empty, but that was just because most of the servants and the guards were downstairs, at the Great Hall to serve and welcome the guests. A lot of the servants were also in the kitchen, preparing the food for the night's feast.

Mabel sighed. She kinda liked the balls, but not the blisters on her feet that she ended up with after a long night. She also didn't like the false smiles people gave her just because she was the princess and the fact that she was never allowed to dress or act the way she wanted to. She always found the parties beautiful and it was fun to dance and all, but the reason for tonight's festivities was no reason for her to celebrate.

Passing by a mirror, she stopped to stare at her reflection; her chestnut hair was in a half ponytail, though the tail part was up into a bun. It was a bit messier than her father would accept, but for her it was just fine. The princess took a deep breath and smiled at her reflection. No one was gonna ruin her day. Or night. Because she was Mabel, and Mabel was always cheerfully positive, as her friends used to tell her.

"I have a great feeling about tonight!"

Then Mabel turned to walk back to her room when she found one of her best friends and lady in waiting, Candy. Her long black hair was swinging at her back as she walked with quick steps.

"Princess, I found you at last. Your father asked me to bring you downstairs to the ball. He said half of the guests are already there."

"So I've heard. I just forgot something in my room and then I'll go down. You can wait for me there with Grenda and tell my father I'll be down in five minutes."

"Sure. I'm going. And don't worry, Mabel." Candy said letting the formality go, she and Grenda usually did that since they were more of friends than subjects to Mabel, but they at least tried to call her 'princess' once in a while in front of people. Candy grabbed her hands in a reassuring gesture. "Don't worry about tonight. Grenda and I will always be by your side, no matter what. Everything will be fine."

"I know. Thanks." She replied, glad for her friend's support as she hugged her. "Well, we shall go now. Go tell my father, I'll be down fairly soon."

"Yes, Mabel." Candy said, walking away. The princess watched her leave and continued on her path to her room, without noticing she was being watched by someone hidden behind the curtains.

Dipper was glad he was there at that moment, now he was sure whom he was going to kidnap. Mentally, he was reviewing his checklist. Find a way upstairs to the rooms without calling attention. Check. Hide around and not be spotted. Check. Discover who the princess is. Check. Dipper grinned. Now he had to wait until she was close enough. So he could check the 'get the princess' off his mental checklist.

Luckily for him, her path was right in his direction and as soon as she passed him, he discretely left his hiding spot and approaches her. And that's what he methodically did, grabbing her from behind and being very quickly to cover her mouth so she wouldn't scream. She was startled and scared and obviously tried to fight back, but he was stronger. Yet, somehow his grip was almost gentle.

"Stop moving or you'll only get hurt." He told her in a fierce tone and she noticed her captor was young just by the soft yet strict voice. "I'm kidnapping you and I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to." He said and then mumbled under his breath for himself, not even noticing he was saying it out loud, and she probably only heard him because she was so close. "Get the princess. Check. Get the ropes. Check. Bind the princess…" and then he complained, "Gross! You licked my hand!"

"And you're lucky I'm not yelling!" She said, almost screaming and using the moment of her captor's distraction to turn around to face him with furrowed eyebrows. When she started hearing his checklist she actually thought this was some kind of joke, but looking at him, she realized it wasn't.

Mabel realized his clothes were weird; close to the description she heard pirates used. He had messy brown hair, long black boots, gray pants, a dark blue and red vest over a black shirt and a leather belt that held a beautiful sword. Though he was young, very young, probably around her age, and maybe he hadn't even reached majority yet, just like her. She also noticed he was handsome, and she didn't even curse herself for noting something like that in this kind of situation. After all, she was Mabel and she always had some time to check out cute boys.

But the most amazing thing she found about him were his chestnut brown irises. His eyes were fierce, angry and bold; however, she could see kindness in them too. Not very noticeable because it was buried beneath all the toughness, but it was already a lot more than some of the false people she knew at the ball. The princess could tell by the way he was holding her that he didn't really mean to harm her. And those thoughts eased her heart.

"Are you a pirate?" Mabel questioned and one of his eyebrows instantly rose in confusion. He was sure she'd try to pull away from him and run, desperately calling for help; which wouldn't work because he was already holding a piece of clean cloth and rope he would use to gag her. And then he'd get another rope to bind her wrists behind her back so he could take her away.

"Yeah… I am…" Dipper answered, not really knowing how to react to that. He had everything planned out. Everything. And she was ruining it by not doing what she was supposed to do.

"And you're kidnapping me?" She questioned, but she knew the answer. He looked to the sides as if he couldn't believe his eyes and ears.

"Yeah… Wasn't it obvious?"

"And we're going on a ship out of the town? Are we going on an adventure?" The last question came with a thrilling smile from her and he almost gasped at her crazy next statement, "That seems so nice!"

"You're kidding me, right?" He couldn't resist saying.

"No way! I've always wanted to travel by ship and go on adventures. It's like a dream come true! But without the kidnapping part… If I go willingly can't you just forget that?"

"But that's not in the plans. You're supposed to resist and I'm supposed to tie you up. That's how things in a kidnapping work."

"Well, I'm changing the rules now. Deal with it." Her voice was between matter-of-fact and demanding as she waved a hand with her index finger high up, pointing at the sky and then at him.

"Okay, then. Come with me." Dipper said grabbing her right arm and pushing her, he had to do at least that.

"Wait! I have to get something first!"

"What?"

"My room is just a few doors down; I need something from there first."

"Really?" He asked, unbelieving, his situation.

"Really!" She answered and he sighed.

"Fine. Let's go. But quickly."

Rapidly they reached her room and she entered, going directly to her dressing table. He followed her and then closed the door; he didn't want to be caught by surprise by any unwelcome person entering the room.

Mabel took off her very fancy necklace full of diamonds and other precious stones on the dressing table and got another one, a simple golden one with a rectangular pendant. Dipper looked at the fancy necklace on the table and, being the pirate he was, he couldn't help but sneak his hand to grab it and put it in his pocket. As she finished putting the golden necklace in place, she said she was ready to leave.

Both exited the room in a hurry and he started to run ahead, holding her arm lightly, to the same place where they came from. But alas, they heard footsteps coming.

"We're gonna need another way." Mabel whispered. "What is the plan, are we going to jump off the walls? Or is there another way that leads outside?"

"No, we need to get to the dungeons."

"Then come with me." She turned to enter another corridor before the person walking by could see them and they ran into the direction she pointed. Living there, she obviously knew her way around. Even so, Dipper was a bit angry for not being able to do this whole thing the way he planned.

They descended the stairs and started walking to the dungeons, she was curious to know why, but knew she'd have to ask later, for now, both had to concentrate. Unfortunately, in the middle of the way they found guards, so they quickly hid behind a pillar.

"Is there another way?" He found himself asking.

"No… By the way, why the dungeons?"

"There's a secret passage that leads outside."

"Really? I thought it was a myth. I never found any hidden passage around here…" She said looking at the guards from behind the pillar. "Do you know any other passages?"

"Hum... There's one in the kitchen."

"We can't go, there are a lot of people in that place now. Any other?"

"The one in the dovecote."

"Great! The coast will be clear to get there."

He gulped. Dipper was way out of his comfort zone, he had everything planned and it was all blown to pieces. He was feeling a bit lost and confused, but he reminded himself to pull together and hold on. He was a pirate after all. Though he was indeed impressed by the girl's spontaneity.

"Are you sure?" he asked, distrustfully. "There won't be any place for us to hide outside the palace."

"No, but we won't really need it. The path will be quite empty now."

Part of him screamed to be careful, that it could be a trap. The other part just believed the crazy girl and said to go with it. He ended up listening to the second one. Dipper nodded and they left, sprinting, looking for any guards that might be on the way. Finally, they reached the dovecote. By then, Dipper's heart was pounding hard against his chest, fearing he might fail.

Mabel entered first, not even bothering to raise her pink dress so it wouldn't tug around the dirty floor. Dipper came right behind her and closed the door, it was a bit dark and the doves and pigeons inside seemed scared by their presence.

"Okay, let's hurry because someone might hear the birds. Where is the passage?"

"I don't know, I guess it's somewhere on the floor. Look for a trapdoor."

Both looked down, searching for something, but all they saw was perfect and dirty wooden floor. There was nothing that could be used as a handle to pull it. Then, Dipper realized it probably didn't have anything to help being opened. Just like the rotating door, it was very well hidden. So it probably didn't have a handle to help to open it like a normal trapdoor.

Thankfully, a lamp was forgotten inside it and Dipper lit it, in fact, he actually remembered to bring a candle and matches, but the lamp was way better than a candle. With the light and a lot of attention to the ground, both spotted a square on the wooden boards. That was it.

Dipper lowered down with his dagger in hand and by placing the thin blade on the very tiny slit, he managed to use it as a lever to incline the trapdoor just enough to open it.

"Yes! Now go first."

"You're kidding me? How am I going to hold on to go down?"

"With your hands?" His sarcasm was irritating.

"No way, you go down first and then catch me. I can barely lift my arms with this stupid dress!" She said trying to lift them, but her elbows wouldn't go higher than her shoulders.

Dipper sighed, exasperated."I'm not stupid, you'll go away when I'm down."

"Don't be silly, oh paranoid one. I already willingly came all the way here. If I wanted to run from you and not with you, I'd already have had the chance of getting you arrested."

"Fine. I'll go first. Pass me the lamp and then come down."

"Okay." She replied watching him descend gracefully and then wondered if he had already done stuff like that. She guessed so. She passed him the lamp and he put it down on the floor near him, then he raised his arms.

"Now, come. I'll catch you."

Mabel took a deep breath, pulled her fancy dress out of the way and jumped down, glad that he did indeed grab her waist so she wouldn't fall against the ground of the hidden tunnel. And he was glad she managed to help support herself by putting her hands on his shoulders.

"Thanks." The princess whispered the moment she felt her feet touch the ground and she found herself staring at his beautiful chestnut eyes again. In the dim light, they seemed even deeper than she found at first. They were only centimeters apart and then he gently pushed her away so he could close the trapdoor as if it was never opened.

"Now follow me." Dipper announced, pulling her by the hand and holding the lantern with his free one. And so they started walking the long path of the tunnels. Turned out it was a Y shaped tunnel, the exit outside the castle was the only one, where both pirates had come from, while the inside exits led to the dovecote and the dungeons.

As they went further, one behind the other, they started hearing quick footsteps echoing through the narrow corridors. She gripped his sleeves and asked if that could be the guards.

"No way. Almost no one knows about this. It's just the person that came in with me." Dipper clarified.

"And who would that be?" The footsteps grew louder; the person was probably very close.

"My captain, of course."

"So you were talking about me?" Roderick asked, finding them at last. Deep down, he was very worried about his son not escaping alive, but on the way, he was glad that he didn't find his boy inside the dungeon or that he hadn't heard any guards speaking of an intrusion.

"Aye, Captain. I told you I could do this." Dipper said with a very pleased and proud grin. "We shall go now."

"Indeed. Never doubt you once. Though I thought you'd gag and tie her up."

"That was the plan, but no time to explain now. We have to move. It won't be long until they notice her absence."

The captain nodded and the three of them traversed the path almost sprinting. Roderick didn't even get to ask how they had a lamp if they were coming from the dovecote way, he just assumed they got it somehow and ignored that simple detail.

Under the cover of the night, they exited the secret passage and started to go to the village, more specifically, the docks.

"Come on, Princess, faster." Dipper complained pulling her by the hand.

"Try to run in high heels and a tight corset. I can barely breathe in this stupid thing. If I faint, I'll blame you. We just can't go walking all the way down there."

"Relax. We won't. We just didn't want our ride so close to the secret passage because someone might have spotted it." The captain explained. "Just ahead there are two horses I borrowed." The princess wondered if by 'borrowed' he meant 'stole', though she didn't say anything.

"But we're three." Mabel pointed out, panting a lot more than them.

"You two are the lighter ones, so you'll go on one."

"I know how to ride a horse, just so you know…" She told the captain with an annoyed look and slightly offended tone.

It was kinda funny the way she wasn't scared of them, they _were_ pirates, after all. She had heard terrible stories about them, about pirates, yet she didn't feel threatened by them. How could it be? She guessed it was because she knew nothing is what it seemed and sometimes, the best books had a stupid cover. Or maybe it could be because she felt as she was being saved from her fate of living in that palace full of rules that held her down like a caged bird.

Finally, they found the horses and mounted them to run back to the docks. Dipper was first and then Roderick helped Mabel up, the girl actually wanted to do it by herself, but her dress prevented a lot of movements. She was placed in front of Dipper and let him guide the way with a very bored expression. She liked to ride horses, and she wanted to hold the reins, yet, they treated her like a damsel in distress. Okay, so her dress didn't really help her at all, but it wasn't fair. If she had known she'd be going on an adventure she would have put on proper attire for the occasion.

Since it was very dark, almost no one would see them, they just had to be careful so the horses' hoofs wouldn't wake up the entire village as they sprinted back to the ship. Luckily for them, though, loud thunders covered the sound of the horses running through the streets. It didn't take long before raindrops started falling on them.

When they were close enough, they dismounted only to run the not so long path of the docks. It was empty and quite silent, apart from their noise and the sound of the rain getting stronger. As they got near their destination, Dipper noticed something.

"Captain, where is the ramp to enter the ship?" The vessel wasn't so far apart and it wasn't so high, but it would be impossible to jump it. Especially, when they were already preparing the sails to leave the docks; in a matter of minutes, the ship would be moving towards the ocean.

"Kid, I wanted it to be faster, we might lose time with the ramp. Why did you think I told you to bring this?" Roderick asked showing something that caught the girl's attention.

"Is it a grappling hook? I always wanted to throw one of these. May I? Please!"

"I don't know… it requires some time and experience…" The captain said, they were still running to get there, but they were finally almost at the end of the dock. Mabel ignored him and took it from his hands, surprising both pirates. And then, she threw it over the taffrail perfectly. Roderick grinned. "It was like you were born for it, Girl."

"Thanks. But how are we going up? It's not like I can go up with in stupid dress…"

"Don't worry about that. Just hold on very tight." He answered making a signal for the people inside the ship and then a chubby looking man with a gentle expression started pulling it with the help of another man, a skinny young one with a very unfriendly face and dark hair over his eyes. In no time, she was standing on the deck; Dipper and Roderick came seconds later.

"Come on, guys. We're setting sail! Let's get our butts out of here before anyone finds out the princess is missing." The captain commanded and the crew obeyed quickly.

Mabel felt the ship starting to move, and she put her hands over the taffrail to look at the city and the shape of the castle walls where she lived her whole life. Part of her was sad to leave, but another part was so excited to go on an adventure as she always dreamed to do just like the ones she read in books from the castle's library.

Roderick saw the princess gripping something around her neck, a golden necklace, and he assumed she probably did this often when nervous or anxious before he went upstairs to position himself behind the helm.

As she watching the shape of the palace and the village get further and further away, she had a calm, yet sad, expression on her face. However it didn't last long, Dipper crossed his arms and inclined his head towards her with a cocky expression in his face.

"So, have you already regretted coming, Princess?"

She turned to look at him and to his surprise; she made a small but truthful smile.

"Nope."

* * *

 **And now the story really begins!**

 **So, what do you guys think about the first chapter? I hope everyone liked the way I introduced the situation, the characters and their personalities, but it's only the beginning.**

 **Please leave me a review telling what you guys think about it!**

 **And after that, don't forget to check my DA page, I'm going to put a lot of drawings for the characters starting this week! :D**

 **Itban Fuyu**


	3. 2 - Confusion

**First, I'd like to thank Ladipretender, for editing this chap as best as she can! :D**

 **And thanks to all that have been reviewing, please keep doing that! Feedback is always great!**

 **So, here's chapter 2, with an introduction of the ship and a few characters. I may not own GF, but I own the OCs, like Captain Roderick.**

 ** _WARNING:_ If you hate seeing Dipper and Mabel together, then just don't read it. If you like pinecest or if you're struggling to decide to like it or not, then you're probably going to enjoy this fic.**

 _ **The cover was made by me, this and other drawings are in my DA page, the link is in my profile, please check it out.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 **Confusion**

"So, do you already regret coming, Princess?" He asked, trying to sound careless and ironic, after all, he was a pirate and was supposed to look and sound rough and tough, even though was the youngest around the ship.

She turned to look at him and to his surprise, a small but truthful smile appearing on her lips. Mabel wasn't even bothered by the pouring rain on her beautiful ball dress, she had a lot of them in the palace anyway and she never liked it how she felt squeezed into them.

"Nope." Her answer came calm and dry before she looked back at the shores.

Dipper's mouth was agape. He was sure she'd say something like she wanted to go back by the serious way she was staring at the shores. That was her home, after all. Yet, she didn't say it. And she didn't even look scared or frightened. He couldn't tell what she was feeling or thinking. And he didn't like it. He didn't like unpredictable things or situations. He was more of a stick-to-the-plan kind of guy and he couldn't help it.

In fact, he also didn't like to admit to himself that they probably wouldn't have gotten out of there if it wasn't for spontaneity. Then again, if she had stuck to his scheme and acted the way he predicted, they'd probably have gotten out the way he planned.

"By the way," she called him out of his reverie. "You don't need to call me princess. Mabel is fine."

"Sure, _P_ _rincess_." He ignored her and kept his voice a bit sarcastic at the 'princess' part, as if he didn't like the word or what it represented. She didn't really care about that detail, so she wasn't bothered by his tone.

"Your name is Dipper, right? Or so I heard the captain call you."

"Yeah. You can call me Dipper." She nodded in agreement before looking at the horizon again, the washed over village was now so far away she could barely even see it.

"This ship is very fast, isn't it?"

"One of the fastest I know of." He answered proudly.

"I see…" Mabel mumbled happily looking around; she always wanted to know how people worked on a ship to make it move.

Without noticing, she braced herself, trying to ward off the cold wet night. However, Dipper saw her gesture, he knew she wasn't used to this. In fact, he was still getting used to having to go through long nights without sleep and barely eating, soaked from what seemed to be a never-ending storm. A pirate's life was not an easy one.

Someone bumped into her and just told her to get out of the way as he ran off to pull some ropes or something. He had straight black hair and the most piercing, dark blue eyes she had ever seen. The young man was quite skinny for a pirate, but she imagined he probably had a lot of techniques to survive through piracy.

"Don't mind him. He doesn't even know what the word 'polite' means." Dipper said, rolling his eyes.

"He was one of the guys who pulled me up into the ship, right?"

"Yeah. His name is Robbie. He's a pain but works well at least. The other one who pulled you is called Soos. He's that one." He pointed to the other side and she followed the direction. "Soos is someone you might like to talk to. He acts a bit dumb but he's the one who always knows how to fix stuff around here and his conversations are always nice. Besides, he can make some really good stew."

"How nice. I'll remember that. And he does seem like a nice guy."

"Yeah. Now I'll take you to your chambers. Just don't expect anything fancy." Dipper told her with a hint of irony.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Mabel said jokingly, smiling joyfully and sauntering after him.

"The captain wanted you to be comfortable during the time you stay with us, so you'll have a room, he also managed to put some dresses in there for you, nothing elegant, though, just commoner stuff."

"Oh, okay." She mumbled as if it was nothing, but the truth was that she wanted to try out different kinds of clothing instead of the boring, if pretty, dresses in there she was always forced to wear.

Dipper led her to a door beneath the sterncastle. There were five doors inside, two on each side and one at the very end of the small corridor that wasn't more than 1 meter wide. He showed her the second door to the right.

"This is going to be your room. And you know, you should keep the door locked most of the time if you don't want to be disturbed."

"Okay." She said as he opened the door revealing the room. It was small and rustic, but neater than she expected. Her eyes widened and she put her hands on her cheeks to exclaim. "It's beautiful!"

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

"It's like 2.5 meters long and 2 meters wide. Your bed was probably bigger than that." (A/N: I guess it'd be around 98 inches long and 78 inches wide)

"I said beautiful, not spacious, Silly." She said, laughing and touching the tip of his cheek with her index finger. He rolled his eyes. How could she be so… cheerful? She had just been kidnapped, for crying out loud!

"Anyway, you should change into dry clothes before you catch a cold…"

Mabel lifted her drenched dress so she could walk better inside the cabin. On the left side, there was a thin bed, probably only 80 centimeters (31 inches) wide and on the other side, a drawer. She could see that there were compartments like a cupboard high on the wall where the drawer was. There was a hatch-like window in the space between the bed and the drawer. On the bed, she found a simple, commoner style dress for her. She turned to look at Dipper.

"Is there another girl in the ship, by any chance?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, it's just that the infernal thing about this dress is that it closes in the back, so I can't take it off by myself…" Her voice trailed off as she tried to hide how embarrassed she was saying it. He blushed a bit and coughed to hide it, cursing himself for he was not supposed to blush, he was a pirate, after all.

"Okay, I'll bring her to help you." He turned, closing the door, and left with quicksteps.

Mabel looked through the hatch; dark seawater ahead was all she could see. She couldn't believe she was free. Finally free from the huge walls that kept her prisoner. Part of her still feared she might wake up back in her enormous fancy bed with all that fancy stuff in her boring life with expectations, restrictions and responsibilities she never really asked for. But then, she knew her dreams wouldn't be so _real_.

And she didn't say that because of the handsome pirate that rescued/kidnapped her, she dreamed of pretty boys all the time; it was normal. What was new was the smell. She was pretty sure she never really paid attention to the salty sea scent and it was good.

Soft knocks on the door woke her from her reverie and she turned to open it. There was a dressed up pirate girl on the other side, with red hair and a green shirt, a dark brown bandana over her head. Mabel guessed she was in her 20's. Like Mabel, she was terribly wet as well.

"Hey, there. My name is Wendy. Dipper told me you needed some help. May I come in?"

"Sure. Thanks."

Mabel backed away so she could enter and then Wendy closed the door behind her. The princess turned her back to the pirate girl and pulled her soaked hair out of the way so she could untie the dress.

"You know, I think you'll like to use the commoner dress, you can it on put and take it off whenever you want to. From what Dipper said, you didn't like this one that much…"

"Not at all…"

"By the way, he also told me you could use the drawer as you wanted to. The bottom has some sheets and covers, maybe you can use some to help dry your hair. I know how it sucks to have it wet all over us. There was some other dresses inside as well, a simple nightgown and matches for you to light the candles or the lamp over the drawer. Just be careful with them, you know, it's a wooden ship." She joked and Mabel laughed.

"I'll try, I'm a bit clumsy though, and so I better not leave them lit up for too long, just in case I end up letting them fall…"

"How could you cope with that freaking dress? It seems so tight and uncomfortable…" Wendy said as she tried to open the threads that were binding the clothing at the princess's back.

"Why do you think I hate it so much?" Her voice came joking, but there was truth in the words. Wendy nodded and lit the lamp so she could better see what she was doing, it took her some minutes before she could finally say the dress was opened. "Thanks."

"Any time." She replied. "Whenever you need me for stuff like that, I'm just on the other side of the hall. Literally. My cabin is the first on the right when you enter the corridor from the Main Deck."

"Okay. I'll remember that." Mabel said before Wendy exited so she could change. The princess hurriedly dried herself and put on the nightgown she found, then she covered herself to block away the cold night and warm herself up. She drifted off to sleep quite quickly, feeling her hair only slightly wet.

* * *

Knocking sounds at the door woke Mabel up. She sat up rubbing her eyes tiredly and looked around, almost jumping in surprise when she realized where she was. For a moment, she had forgotten everything from the previous day, but it all hit her by the second knock.

She jumped out of the bed and opened the door just a bit to see who was there. Dipper was waiting impatiently, holding a simple white plate with a round bisket-bread on it, not too big or too small, and a cup of water. Embarrassed, Mabel quickly tried to tidy her messy hair with her hands.

"I brought you breakfast. Were you in bed all this time?"

"Hum… Yeah… The bed was kinda comfortable and the movement of the sea was a delight. I didn't even notice it was already morning…"

"You actually _like_ your quarters?" He asked in disbelief.

"It's not that bad."

"Anyway, here." He said handing her the plate and cup. She took it and blushed as her stomach showed how eager it was for the food.

"Thanks."

"Eat and get dressed, than meet me outside." He told her before she closed the door.

It took Mabel some time to figure out how to get the peasant-like bodice on, but she finally managed to put the dark red bodice, simple white shirt and light pink skirt into place. Then she made a braid over her head and put it into a bow, keeping her long bangs out of her face. The sun was so high and bright, she had to cover her eyes to let them get used to it the moment she stepped out of the commissioned officers' quarters.

She found Dipper supporting his arms and elbows on the taffrail, gazing at the bright blue ocean, the wind softly blowing his short chestnut hair that were the same color as his irises. He didn't notice her, and she was glad for it, because she was taken aback as she realized her heart had skipped a beat. He was handsome, very handsome. And there was nothing more to it than that, nothing but looks. After all, she didn't really know him, though she did know he was one of the kindest men she had ever met.

Before she went to speak to him, she looked around the deck; a few men were here and there, some working, others just sitting to enjoy the sunlight. And then her eyes found that Robbie guy. Apparently, he was lifting a barrel, but stopped to look at her. To glare at her. With despise in his eyes. Why did he hate her so much? She never even exchanged three sentences with him. She decided to ignore it for now. Maybe it was just some stupid impression she had, or a misunderstanding, either way, she'd not let herself be bothered by it.

Mabel boldly sat on the taffrail besides Dipper and started swinging her legs around mindlessly as she bade him good morning.

"P-Princess! Don't do that, you might fall into the sea!"

"Don't worry, I've got it under control. Besides, if I fall you can always throw me a rope or something."

"Do you have any sense of self-preservation?"

"Nope." She chanted happily, still swinging her legs like a kid with pudding. "By the way, where are we going?"

"To a safe city, right up north. It will take us about three days to get there. Now, should I take you to a tour around the ship?"

"I'd love that!" She jumped off of the taffrail, ready to follow him.

"And the captain told me you're not supposed to wander around alone, you should have me or Wendy accompany you, okay?"

"Sure, but why? Is not like you'd hurt me, right?"

"Well, accidents happen and stuff. You'll see pretty soon that the people here are not exactly good on being nice. We are pirates. Don't ever forget that." His voice was deep and serious. She only nodded, smiling. "Now, for the tour. As you can see, here is the main deck. At the front, you'll find the forecastle, where we keep stuff like water and wine, or other barrels at easy access."

She looked at the construction in front of the ship. For the first time, in daylight, she really observed the vessel. It was quite big, Dipper told her stuff about it and she heard him say it was a galleon ship, with three masts. Around 35 meters long and 7 meters wide. (A/N: Around 114'9" and 22'11")

"At the back, there's the sterncastle, the place you slept in tonight. Over it, there's the helm and the Poop Deck, where's a small navigation room inside."

And then Mabel looked at where he pointed and for the first time, she noticed the construction behind the helm, which was currently being conducted by Soos. The man waved down at them when he noticed Dipper and Mabel were looking up, the girl copied the gesture with enthusiasm. Dipper rolled his eyes and then led her downstairs.

"Most ships only have two floors underneath the main deck, but ours is a special one. It has three."

"And what do we have on this level?" She asked as they descended one story.

"It's the Gun Deck, where most of the cannons stay and at the stern part of it is the infirmary, there's a place to sleep in when needed."

She looked around, there were a lot of men sitting on nets, playing cards, resting and sleeping, most of them barely even noticed them walking around the deck. However, a few of them just stared at her. She was pretty, beautiful, actually. Extremely. It was hard for them not to notice that especially when all they had around were other stinky men.

Well, there was Wendy, but they all knew what happened when they tried to make a move on her. They end up not being able to walk for some time with a lot of pain in between their legs. So they got used to ignoring her. Except for Robbie. Though none of them would do anything to Mabel. The captain commanded so and his orders were absolute. He said no harm should come to her, or else it might affect the ransom they'd get.

"And what is down there?"

He lead her down another level of stairs. At the back, there was a large corridor, with a lot of doors on each side. And at the other side, a lot of tables.

"Here in the forepart we have the galley, which is the kitchen. Whenever you're hungry, this is the place to go. It doesn't have too much space, so we have to keep alternating the time of everyone eating here. And if it's full, you must eat and leave. Got it?"

"Sure." She replied. "And what are those doors?"

"The cabins. They're much smaller than yours and usually meant for two people on a berth. You know, in the smaller ships, the Gun Deck is also the Berth Deck, with the sailors sleeping on the nets all together. In fact, with really full capacity, we could take over 250 men in those two levels."

"Okay. And you said there were three levels beneath the main deck, which means there's another one, right?" She said in a playfully thoughtful voice. How she managed to do something like that was beyond him.

"Yes, the place where we keep our stocks and treasures. But sorry, you're not allowed to go underneath this floor."

"Okay. Then I want to go back up."

"As you wish." This mocking undertone was obvious, but she chose to ignore it and just sauntered back to the main deck being followed by him.

Stepping out under the sunlight again, she had to shelter her eyes one more time until they adjusted to it.

"So you're just going to follow me like a shadow or something?"

"Not really. I have some duties too besides babysitting you."

"Hey! I'm not a baby, I'm already a woman, if you haven't noticed." But he did. It was hard not to notice her. It was hard not to notice the beauty in the curves in her teenager's body.

"Anyway, why don't you just wait around here for a while? Stay around Wendy or Soos. Or inside your chamber. I'll escort you back to the galley at lunch time."

"Okay." She agreed and looked around, once again, her brown eyes met Robbie's and once again, the young princess saw the loathing glare towards her. Mabel turned to look at the other side. She was not finding Wendy, so she decided to go where she saw Soos the last time: the helm. Mabel went up the sterncastle, however, she didn't find who she thought she would.

The captain was there instead, maneuvering the wheel that controlled the whole ship's course. She happily greeted him, waving her hand. He nodded with a hint of a smile on his lips.

"So, Captain, Dipper showed me around. You have quite the ship, here."

"I know. She's beautiful isn't she? Though you don't have to call me captain, Princess. Roderick is just fine."

"But I'm standing on your ship, Captain. I can respect that."

"You'd honor me."

Mabel smiled. Apparently he was the only one who wasn't putting on a tough pirate façade. Maybe because he was so imposing she couldn't help but acknowledge that. Although he was imposing, he didn't have a really strong figure, the captain wasn't scrawny either, but he was not big, bulky, and full of muscles. There were stronger looking pirates in the crew or so she noticed when she was taking her tour.

So if the pirates weren't following him for his muscle strength, it had to be something else. She quickly noticed that his imposing feeling didn't come from his looks; it probably had something to do with his intelligence and sword fighting technique. Though he seemed to be experienced in piracy, he was clearly young, she guessed he was just around 35 to 40, definitely not more than that; with only a few gray locks mixed and partly hidden in dark blond hair.

"If you insist, I may call you Roderick. If you drop the 'princess' thing. I hate formalities. They're just another way to keep people away."

The captain laughed.

"You know, I once met someone that told me something quite similar to that. By the way, then what should I call you?"

"Well, the same way you call anyone else. By his or her name. I like when people call me Mabel. Not Princess Mabel. Just my name."

"Okay then, Mabel."

"Thanks." She said looking at him controlling the wheel dexterously. "It seems fun. May I try it?"

"I don't know… It's not that easy…"

"Please? You can teach me, right?" She put her hands in front of her, interlacing her fingers like a praying gesture and pleaded with her eyes. He laughed, but it worked.

"Alright, fine. Grab the helm." Roderick instructed as he backed away just enough to give space to place herself behind it. "The left side is called Port, the right side is Starboard. Now, why don't you turn the ship 20 degrees Port?"

"Like that?"

Mabel said stirring the wheel to the left just about 20 degrees, feeling the entire vessel turns with it.

"It's like you were born for it. Now try to put back to the original position." And then she did. "You're quite good. Better than I was the first time I tried."

"I most certainly feel flattered." There was a playful tone in her voice and a bright smile on her lips.

There was a moment of silence and then the captain told her to try other directions, smooth turns here and there. And then he stopped. Saying she should go straight ahead.

"You know, you look like her."

"Who?"

"The queen."

"You knew her?" Mabel asked, surprised.

"Everyone knew her back in the capitol. I used to live there. She used to go in the village to look around. She really cared for her people. She used to go even when she was pregnant with you, but only at the beginning, then she fell ill at the end of her pregnancy."

"I've heard she used to do that."

"I never spoken to her then, but I watched her. She would have been a great queen. The people already loved her even before she married your father." Roderick said as he remembered his commoner's days at the capitol, before he became a pirate. "I hope for the good of the kingdom you'll turn out to be a good queen like her. The people can't bear your father as a ruler for much longer."

"Too bad I never asked for it…" She mumbled under her breath, and then she turned to the captain. "Do you know why Robbie hates me so much, Roderick?" She remembered calling him by the name in the nick of time.

"Why do you say that? Did he hurt you?"

"No. It's just the way he looks at me. If looks could kill, I'd pretty much be in the bottom of the ocean by now…"

"Oh, don't mind him. He despises pretty much everything, but on the top of the list is the king and the royal navy."

"You're pirates, don't you all have issues like that?"

"Robbie holds a grudge better than anyone I've ever met. He's obedient, though. He won't lay a hand on you. I ordered everyone to keep to their best behavior around you."

"But I never did anything against him. Why would he do that? I'm not my father. I don't even agree with what he does."

"Well, you're the closest thing to the king around here. So he channels his anger on you. It's not rational, it's not like he thinks about getting mad. He just does. Just try to stay away from him."

"Yes, Captain. I mean, Roderick."

"Right, Lass. Now, 30 degrees Starboard." And then, she turned the wheel.

* * *

 **I know there wasn't too much action, but it was needed for a better understanding of characters and the place they're staying for a long part of this fic.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed! Please leave a review telling me what you think of it and what you think it's gonna happen next! :D**

 ** **And after that, don't forget to check my DA page! There are drawings of this fic and there'll be more! :D****

 **Itban Fuyu**


	4. 3 - Realization

**First, Thank you, Ladipretender, for editing this chap! You're amazing! :D**

 **Thanks to all there's been reviewing, please keep doing that! Feedback is always great!**

 ** _WARNING:_ If you hate seeing Dipper and Mabel together, then just don't read it. If you like Pinecest or if you're struggling to decide to like it or not, then you're probably going to enjoy this fic.**

 _ **The cover was made by me, this and other drawings are in my DA page, the link is in my profile, please check it out.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

 **Realization**

"So… I always thought pirates were completely ruthless and mean and stuff."

Mabel told Dipper, leaned over the taffrail, almost like a kid about to fall to the sea, but her feet were safe on the wooden floor. She gazed at the blue ocean, enjoying the cool gentle breeze that brushed her hair away and made her long skirt dance. The young pirate crossed his arms, looking at the horizon as well because there was nothing left to do. Both had just come back up after having lunch at the galley.

"Are you saying we're a bunch of softies just because we're treating you well?" Dipper asked bored and annoyed at the same time. His ego was a bit hurt by her comment.

"Not at wall. All I'm saying is that you look normal people. You could have hurt me; you could have left me locked in a tiny room bound and without how to break out. Or even worse."

"Why would we do that? We're in the middle of the sea, it's not like you could escape."

"You know what I mean." She shrugged straightening herself to look up at him, leaving her hands still on the wood of the taffrail that surrounded the whole main deck.

"If you had this idea of us, then why did you comply in coming in the first place?"

"I knew the minute I laid my eyes on you that you wouldn't hurt me." She revealed. "What I didn't expect was to see so much kindness in almost all of you. Especially the Captain, though he hides it very well."

"He is a good man. One of the best I know. But don't be fooled. You won't like to be in his black list, he can be quite merciless with his enemies. And be careful, you're quite close to it."

"To what? His black list? What did I ever do to him?"

"It's not you. It's your father. The King is in the top of the list. But then again, probably every pirate is in the King's black list, so we're even, I guess."

"But he doesn't have a grudge on me. At least, not that I noticed when he was teaching me how to navigate earlier."

"He did that?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Nothing. It's just that it took me a while to make him teach me how to use the helm. Even though I begged him to let me. I guess he does have a soft spot for girls, after all."

"Who knows, maybe he just wanted to be sure you'd be ready for it?"

"Maybe. I was only 10 back then anyway."

"You knew the captain so young?" She asked curiously.

"Even younger. He's my father."

"Oh. You never told me before."

"As far as I'm concerned, I don't have to tell you about my family, Mabel. You're still our victim, after all, remember? You might have come willingly, but I did kidnap you."

"Details. But you could have told me. Though now I see some resemblance on both of you…"

 _Some resemblance?_ Dipper thought to himself feeling one of his eyebrows rising. _Everyone says we do look alike a lot, thank you very much…_

Then, she looked back to contemplate the nothingness of blue sky and water in every direction. There is until Mabel spoke again.

"So… did the captain already kill someone?"

"Of course. He's been a pirate for a long time now. Over 14 years, I believe. He gained some friends and enemies along the way. And lost some too, if you catch my drift. But that's what we have to do sometimes to survive. Though unlike most pirates around the realm, we don't like to kill for fun or for no reason. We don't like to screw somebody's life out of nothing. We're not jerks." Dipper said crossing his arms "But we're not dummies either. We go get what we want and we do what it needs to be done for that. We're selfish and greedy. So don't be deceived. We can turn from side to side if we can get something from it."

"Really? But you're honest too. And at least a little bit caring. So you have a good heart. And I don't think money can buy you from something you believe."

"Maybe not, however I don't have a problem in trample over somebody to get what I want. And so does the rest of the crew."

She made a soft and small smile.

"Well, that's obvious, otherwise you'd all probably be dead by now."

And once again, that princess surprised Dipper. How could she always do the exact opposite of what he imagined? He was absolutely sure she'd be scared or reluctant to be around them after that, because what he said was not a lie. He'd do that; he'd trample people's wishes or feelings if it leads him to what he wanted. Though she saw he wouldn't do this if he absolutely didn't have to and that's what prevented her from getting scared or apprehensive.

"And you know what? I think that while most pirates wants to be known by their mercilessness and power, your captain wants to be known by collecting treasures and being wealthy."

"Well, you're right about that." He concluded as he realized she was pretty much quick on reading people.

"By the way, why are we going north?"

"How do you know we're going north? You don't have a compass, do you?"

"I'm not stupid. I know the sun rise in the east and that's there. The west is the other way, so ahead is north and behind us is south." She finished pointing with her thumb behind her. Her tone was still jokingly, with a smile that just wouldn't leave her face. "Stop underestimating me, I'm not stupid."

"You're right. I'm sorry. It's just that you're just so… different than what I had imagined…" He admitted.

"Of course I am. I'm Mabel. There's no one else in the world like me." She said proudly spreading her arms for dramatic emphasis, making him laugh just a little. Then, she decided to sit on the taffrail again, leaving him with his hands in the air as if he was ready to catch her. "But, what did you mean exactly?"

Dipper sighed, turning to support his arms by her side, and then he supported his chin on his right hand. She started swinging her legs.

"It's just that I thought you'd be more like… I don't know, I guess I imagined you'd be nagging at everything, you wouldn't want to put commoner's clothes, you'd be whining to go back home, you'd want to use fancy clothes and stuff… And I definitely didn't imagine you'd want to be kidnaped in the first place."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm afraid you got the wrong girl, then. If you wanted someone like that you should have gotten my cousin, Pacifica Northwest. I could bet everything I own in the castle she'd be acting exactly as you described if she was in my place. She doesn't have the adventurous spirit that I have."

"Hell, no! I don't think I could stand it for too long. Maybe we got the right girl, after all."

"Awn, that was so sweet. I feel flattered." Mabel said in a teasing tone, leaning back to look at him. He had a mocking-like smile.

"I only said that because you're being less of a pain than I thought. And if you fall into the ocean I'm gonna laugh at you, got it?"

"Or, maybe I'll take you down with me."

"You always have something to say, don't you?"

"Of course." She shrugged happily and then she leaned a bit more towards the sea, as if she was pretending to fall. And she was right in her assumptions. "You tried to catch me." Mabel pointed out feeling herself being embraced by his right arm while he was holding himself in place with the left arm firmly at the taffrail. There was concern in his dazzling chestnut eyes. "I thought you were supposed to only laugh at me."

It took him two seconds to realize she wasn't really about to fall, in fact, the princess was just playing with him. His concern quickly turned to irritation and he pretended to let her fall, by releasing the right arm on her back. Mabel yelped as she felt the support loosen up and gravity started to make her way down towards the waters, but it last only a fraction of second because she quickly held onto him at the same time he placed his hand back to support her.

"Don't do that again or I'll let you fall for real."

Mabel gulped feeling her heart pound aggressively against her chest for the startle of almost falling. Unable to speak at the moment, she just nodded in agreement, tightening the grip on the back of his shirt and vest. Clearing her throat, she finally managed to look away from his hypnotizing eyes. But before she could totally look away from him, she couldn't help but notice how he looked handsome with the light of the twilight shining on him. The sun was already starting to set.

"Could you help me get inside the ship, now?"

He didn't say anything else; he just pulled her inside so she could stand on her feet on the main deck. She looked up at him, he wasn't so much taller than her; the previous day, when she was wearing high heels, they were practically the same height. But now she was using commoner's boots and it didn't have high heels.

"But I was right. I knew you wouldn't let me fall."

"Just don't do stupid stuff like that again. Do you hear me?"

"Okay. I got." She answered by the time some people of the crew started climbing up, some of them, she noticed, had instruments with them. "You guys can play those?"

"Some lived as musicians and troubadours before joining piracy and they play once in a while after chores."

"That's so nice!" She said happily, clapping her hands exited and observing them starting to play some music to break the disturbing silence of the evening in the middle of the ocean. She hasn't notice until that moment how quiet it could be with nothing else around the ship making noises, it was awfully silent. "I want to dance!"

"You have the whole deck for yourself." He shrugged carelessly, not expecting her to take it for real.

But of course, she had to do the exact opposite of what he imagined. He remembered himself to think the opposite the next time. She most definitely wasn't a stereotyped royal princess. As she started to mindlessly dance around the deck as she always wanted, without any formalities, etiquettes, rules and other boring stuff, the musicians started to feel appreciated and their songs came more and more exited, with an energy that could be contagious to everyone at the main deck. Everyone stopped what they were doing to appreciate the music. And then, Mabel started to call people to dance as well.

First, it was with her good friend Wendy, who was already clapping her hands to the rhythm of the song and then she pushed her boyfriend Robbie to go along. Robbie was reluctant, crossing his arms in denial and obviously glaring at the princess, but Wendy made him concentrate on her and little by little he let himself enjoy the moment. And then, Mabel pulled in more people from their places to just dance along with the music. It got to a point where other pirates downstairs started to climb to join them.

Mabel gestured for Dipper to do the same, but he refused, so embarrassed he was. She rolled her eyes and stopped in front of him, grabbing his hands.

"Come on. Have some fun with us!"

"I'm not like you, I'm not used to this and I don't even know how to begin this thing anyway…" He told her. Dipper needed plans and schemes, something to tell him exactly what to do step by step.

"And you think I know? If my father saw me now he'd bore me to death with a lecture about how a princess shouldn't behave like this. Just let yourself be free. Feel the rhythm and just flow with it."

"Easy for you to say, you're spontaneous…" He said, secretly admiring that trait of hers, maybe with a tiny bit of jealousy.

"Then let me help you. Spin me." She pulled him to the middle of the deck, and he clumsy and awkwardly started to spin her.

With the sound of the instruments, also came the clapping hands and taps on the floor underneath the pirates' boots. Observing it all from the sterncastle was the Captain, who couldn't help but smile and tap his foot with the rhythm as he navigated the helm. Soos sauntered up next to him.

"Do you want to go there for a while, Captain?" He asked happily.

"No, it's okay. I'm having enough fun just watching them. I'm glad they're all happy like that. She's a special girl, don't you think?"

"Indeed, Sir. I never thought I'd see everyone so moved like that without at least enough rum to fill the ocean."

The captain laughed at his friend's exaggeration. "It's good to see Dipper finally acting like a normal teen instead of a responsible old man. Sometimes this kid worries me too much…"

"And she looks happy too. They look happy together. "

"Yeah. Too bad she can't stay."

"Aye, Sir."

"Now go knock yourself out, Soos. Enjoy the calm before the storm."

"Don't you want to go as well, Sir?"

"I want to. But I don't."

"What?"

"Just go, Soos. It's okay." The chubby man shrugged, confused, but complied and went back down, leaving his captain to heavily sigh to himself.

* * *

"See? I told you she was not that bad." Mabel heard Wendy's voice not too far away from her, but apparently, neither she nor Robbie realized the princess could hear them. And why should they? The music and the clapping were loud enough to interrupt someone's thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah. I still don't like her."

"Come on, Robbie, you don't even know her."

"I don't need to. As long as I get my part of the ransom I'll be happy."

Mabel froze. Ransom? What ransom? Whose ransom? And then it hit her like an uncontrolled carriage. It was her ransom. _Of course, why else would pirates kidnap me?_ She thought to herself, suddenly embarrassed for not realizing it at first. She felt her cheeks suddenly get hotter as she became mortified by how foolish she had been... In a way she rarely ever been in her entire life.

Her heart sank and for a moment the world around her started to spin, only she wasn't doing it this time. It was hard to breathe as she realized something important. "I'm not free." She mumbled under her breath. And she felt stupid; really stupid.

She knew it should have been that, they were in it for money and she was the daughter of the most important and richest man of the kingdom. Deep down, she knew it was a ransom; she was just ignoring that crucial little detail. And that made her even angrier with herself. How could she just forget and ignore something so important?

For a moment, she felt as the world was moving slower, she couldn't even hear the music or the noise the pirates made to accompany the rhythm. It was like nothing else existed for that little moment, and she just wanted to hide herself inside a hole in shame.

She tried to smile. But she couldn't. She just needed to get away from all these people for a little while, not only to hide in shame and regret, but also so she could cry just a little bit. Mabel looked at Dipper in front of her, he noticed how tense she suddenly got and was studying her with a raised eyebrow.

"I-I'm not feeling very well, it's better if I just go back to my room." She excused herself and went back to her temporary chamber.

She still couldn't believe how naïve she had been. Her breathing was as quick as the pounding heart beating against her chest and she could even feel her chocolate brown eyes getting wetter the moment she turned to leave. This was a ransom, and the most normal thing to happen was that they'd eventually give her back to the King for money, regardless of what she wanted. And she most certainly did not want to go.

The truth was that Mabel never wanted to be a princess; she never wanted the responsibilities or the fanciness of everything. All she wanted was to be free and see the world; she had barely left the walls of the castle her entire life. For 16 years, she felt like a prisoner. And now that she thought she was free, she realized she would go back to her cage anyway.

She felt herself walking towards the window of the accommodations after closing the doors behind her. There was nothing but open sea in sight. Sighing sadly, she barely noticed the door being opened.

"You should knock before you just barge in, you know. I could be changing or something…"

"You'd have locked the door, like I told you should. We _are_ pirates, if you haven't noticed. We're not really known for good form and polite manners." Dipper said with a mocking undertone.

"I noticed." Her voice was very low and gloomy.

"Wait, that's it? No smart comebacks, no jokes? Nothing?" He crossed his arms; there was a beautiful half smile on his lips. She tried to smile and fake away her fears, but the pain was just too strong. So she turned around pretending to look at something very important out of the hatch window that just couldn't pass by without her constant watch, however, there was nothing but blue waters. "Okay, that's it. The captain ordered me to take care of you and even though I don't want it, that's what I'm gonna do. You're not yourself, are you sick or something after all that rain? If you are just tell us so we can find a doctor for you."

"So you're concerned for me?" She dared to turn and look at him.

"Wha- Of course not!" He managed not to blush, or at least not too much. He was young and inexperienced in dealing with girls, especially one so as beautiful like as Mabel. "It's just that you have to be in one piece so we can get our money."

"Oh. Of course. I understand…" She mumbled looking out the window.

"So, are you sick or not? What's wrong with you?" Dipper asked stepping a bit closer, his arms still crossed. "You were fine just seconds ago."

"It's nothing."

"No it's not." He held her by the arm and made her turn to look at him once again. "You can tell me."

Mabel sighed and swallowed, almost not being able to look away from the intense chestnut brown round pools of his eyes. The dim light of the moon came from right behind her illuminating his face and even though she was full of sorrow, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. It took her a while before she managed to look away.

"It's just… I don't… Whatever you do just please…" He raised an eyebrow as if inviting her to continue, but he didn't dare speak since it seemed already too hard for her to say. Her voice came out choking. "Please don't send me back."

That took Dipper by surprise. This girl kept surprising him over and over again, he was sure she'd ask to go back, not the opposite.

"Y-you… Don't you want to go back to your home? To your family? Your father?"

"Just… Please don't make me go." She said, feeling silent tears finally snapping from her wet eyes and slide down her cheeks, but luckily, it was dark enough to hide it. And indeed, he didn't get to see it properly.

But he did notice something was off. He didn't really know how he could tell; he just could, though he highly suspected it was something to do with her choking voice. There was an urgency and despair in her tone that made him wonder what happened to her there to make her so afraid.

And even though he liked to stick to the plans and he wanted to receive the money from his first ransom, a part inside him was screaming to heed her pleas. And even though he was a pirate, he couldn't just doom a girl's life. He couldn't bring himself to turn her down.

"I… I won't…" He suddenly found his hand behind her waist pulling her closer. He didn't intend to hold her, not at all; it was as much of a surprise for her as it was for him. "I won't."

And then Dipper realized he found himself in trouble. In big trouble. How could he convince his father not to get the ransom, now?

* * *

 **So, guys, what do you think of it so far? I hope everyone is enjoying it! Please review and let me know!**

 **And if you're liking this fic, you might also like my other fic, it is a HTTYD one, just check it on my profile.**

 **Itban Fuyu**


	5. 4 - Broken

**First, Thank you, Ladipretender, for editing this chap! You're amazing! :D**

 **Thanks so much for all the reviews, favorites and followers! Here is another chap! Sorry it took so long!**

 ** **And if you're liking this fic, you might also like my other fic, it is a HTTYD one, just check it on my profile.****

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 **Broken**

"Hey, Soos." Dipper greeted the next day.

The chubby young man was on the gun deck, cleaning all the cannons, not because it was his duty, but because he liked to work. Dipper took a deep breath, savoring the seawater smell he liked so much.

"Hey, Dude? Whasup?"

Soos had the same smile as always on his face, just happy to be alive. He was probably one of Dipper's the favored friends in the whole world, always with good humor and a badly shaved goatee beard. While sailing, he was rarely without his trusty red head bandana, dark green vest, and red waist cloth underneath the leather brown belt that secured his sword in place. The good-humored man wasn't really the kind to just pick fights and stuff; in fact, he almost never used his sword, though he knew how to use it when necessary.

"I don't know, I guess I'm fine…"

"You don't look cool, Dude… What happened?" Soos asked, noticing the raspy voice and gloomy expression of his young friend. Dipper shrugged.

"It's the princess… I mean, Mabel…"

"What about her? She's a nice gal." Soos replied standing up, leaving the cannon he was working on completely clean. He slapped his hands against one another to take the dirt off.

Dipper looked at Soos, his dark greenish hazelnut eyes confused. The 16-year-old teen ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"She is. The thing is that last night, she told me she wants to stay with us. And I don't know, it's so weird… I feel like maybe something was wrong in the castle… Or is it just me being too paranoid?" Confused, Dipper more asked himself than his friend, raising both arms in a questioning gesture.

"Well, you are a little bit too paranoid form time to time…"

"Hey!"

"Come on, you can't deny the truth."

And Dipper sighed, already defeated. "Yeah, I guess you're right…"

"What are you going to do about that?"

"I'll talk to my father… See what he thinks about it…"

"Hey, Dude, wouldn't it be nice if she stayed? It would be nice to have another girl on the ship. And Princess Mabel has a good smell. I like good smelling people. Maybe we could have a party like last night every week. I'd like that!" Soos concluded with a slight laugh, and Dipper managed to smile just a bit.

"Yeah. I guess you're right, Soos. Anyway, I gotta go. Talk to you later, Man."

"Bye, Dude. And chill out. Everything will be fine."

Dipper waved, smiling, but said nothing. Sometimes Soos was just too positive to see that not all things turned out okay. And that was what was troubling the young, paranoid mind of the second in command.

It was late afternoon and his father was sitting on a chair in the navigation room, there was a map on the table, but Dipper knew his father didn't need it to go to Salus City. Roderick had made the journey or trip so many times he probably knew how to get there blindfolded.

The night before, Mabel had asked him not to send her back. He'd been struggling to talk with his father ever since.

"So, Dad, I've been wanting to talk to you about something all day... and last night..."

"It shouldn't be so hard, Son. We are sleeping in my quarters, after all." Roderick said, relaxed, drinking a cup of mead. "What do you want, Kid?" Dipper closed the door and made his way to sit on a chair near his father.

"It's just… Well, you see, the princess, I mean, Mabel asked me not to send her back to the palace…" His voice trailed off as he looked at the captain, he was holding the cup midway to his mouth, and he had an eyebrow raised. "Dad, she wants to stay."

There was a moment of tense silence. And then, Roderick had a laughing fit. Dipper just stood there, looking awkwardly to the sides until his father finally managed to stop laughing.

"Are you done now?"

"Yeah. Sure. Let me guess, she wants to go on adventures, right?"

"She didn't say exactly…" Dipper started, but then he remembered the night he kidnapped her, she did say she always wanted to see the world and get into an adventure. "Yeah… I guess it's something like that…"

"Look, Son, of course she wants to see the world, she probably never left the castle, or at least I never heard news about the princess visiting the capitol when I passed there. But in the end, she'll miss her home and her perfect court life. She'll miss her family and friends and then, she'll want to go back."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Dipper, who would trade their lives and their family for the unknown? Who would trade an easy pampered existence for a hard-working life-style, risking his neck every day? I mean, it is what we want and like, but Mabel? She was born a princess. Right now, this is all new to her and it seems so interesting. But it won't be for long."

"But what do we do? It's not like I can just kick her back to the palace if she doesn't want to. It doesn't seem fair."

"Oh, Son. I told you it was not going to be a regular ransom, remember?" Dipper nodded. "I told you we'd stay with her for a while. I'm planning somewhere around a month. And I did leave a note for the king about her kidnapping that night. He'll be worried sick about her, and then he will be willing to give us everything we want to have his daughter back. And by then, she'll be tired of our life-style and will want to go back on her own. We get our money, she gets to see the world and enjoy some adventures, the king will have his daughter unharmed and we'll all be able to live our lives as if nothing ever happened. Except that we'll be much richer."

"Well, I never really thought things through like that, but… I don't know. When she asked me not to send her back it was as if she was about to cry or something."

"Kid, it could have been many things. She could be over reacting, she could be scared with what we could do to her, she could have been sad about not having the chance to see the world. The list could go on."

"Yeah… I guess you're right…" Dipper admitted, yet he could smell a rat.

"Anyway, Son, the problem you should worry about if she wants to stay longer than that, is the crew. You know there's really good people, like Soos, who wouldn't mind waiting a little longer to get the ransom. Geez, he's so nice he probably wouldn't even mind if he didn't receive anything. But the rest? Well, the majority are more like Robbie, they hate the king and anything to do with him and they'd do anything to get their hands on gold. Even mutiny if they need to."

"I know…" Dipper mumbled under his breath. He stood up, deciding to go back to his duties.

His father was right and he knew it. He should have known, he should have thought it though better; after all, Dipper was the one planning stuff. Though apparently, his dad had this ransom covered from head to toe. It made Dipper remember how well experienced his father was in piracy. He was about to open the door when Roderick's voice called his attention and he turned to face his serious captain before his hand grabbed the knob.

"But remember what I told you when it all began, Son. You can't fall for her. It will only make things more difficult. Even if she doesn't want to go back now, she'll miss her family, her home. She'll _want_ to go back. And when she does leave, if you get too attached to her, it will only bring you wasted years and endless torment."

"Are you saying that because you still miss my mom? Even today?"

"I miss her every day. And I don't want the same for you, Son. So harden your heart. It will be better for everyone. Just enjoy the moments while they last. But remember that they will come to an end and it will be sooner than you realize."

"Aye. You're right. I must go now." His son replied sadly and walked away, closing the door behind him.

A few hours later, Dipper found Mabel at the galley.

She was sitting at a table with Soos, Wendy and Robbie and there was a crowd of people around them. The princess was smiling truthfully, not mocking or anything, just cluelessly all around. The pirates around them were cheering and commenting. Wendy and Soos looked like they couldn't stop laughing while Robbie, on the other hand, seemed stressed.

Just then, Dipper noticed quite a big pile of golden coins in front of her and cards in their hands. Dipper raised an eyebrow. Were his eyes deceiving him or they were really playing some card game, betting and Mabel was, well, winning?

"Urg!" Robbie expounded, suddenly exasperated. "It's not fair, she doesn't even know what we're playing!"

"Hum… cards?" She asked, confused and Dipper held a laugh under his breath. Wendy didn't make an effort to hide her laughter.

"I don't even have money to bet anymore! She's stealing everything!"

"She's not stealing, Robbie, she's winning fairly."

"Dude, why don't you bet chores now? If you win, she'll have to do them for you." Soos gave the idea, and people around them started cheering and betting their own chores.

"I bet my turn to scrub the main floor deck that Robbie will get some points next time." A black bearded pirate said. "Well I bet my turn to peel potatoes that she'll kick his ass!" another one said. "I'll wash the dishes if he doesn't save his reputation!"

Robbie looked at them, feeling pressured and angry. Truth to be told, no one had beaten him in any card game for a long time. He was good. Very good. But she was so lucky he didn't even have any golden coins at the table anymore. And he needed to find a way to keep his head. So he made his decision.

"I bet my turn to clean the cannons, all 30 of them, that you won't be able to best me this time." Robbie said confident in himself, putting his cards down.

"Oh, is the game over?" She asked, confused, putting her cards down too, making his jaw drop on the process. She just happened to kick his butt cruelly and she didn't even know it. She had no clue of the fact she was holding the best group of cards in the game.

"Shit!" Robbie exclaimed and started swearing as he banged the table with his fists.

"Should I share it with you now?" She asked innocently.

"No, it's yours." Wendy replied, "You won."

"But I don't need it." Mabel never really needed money for anything, she always had everything she wanted and if she ever wished to buy something, she'd just order people to bring her a chest or a purse with money. She barely even touched it in her life. She was so used to it she kinda forgot the detail that she didn't have that kind of luxury on the ship. But even if she did, she'd rather give it to someone that needed or wanted it more than her.

So she divided the pile into four and distributed it to each of them sitting at the table, slipping her part inside a purse for coins. Dipper recognized it as being one of his father's, he probably gave her some money so she could play a little with them, Roderick probably imagined he'd just waste his coins, but that's not what happened.

"Alright then!" Dipper shouted in an authoritative tone of voice, getting the room's attention. "Show's over, back to work everyone. And if I'm not mistaken, you have some dishes to do, you got to scrub the deck floor and you, Robbie, go on and clean the cannons, all the 30 of them." He pointed to each one as he commanded. They all sighed, annoyed and began to comply. Robbie turned, quite mad, but he didn't say anything except some swearwords under his breath.

Soon the galley was empty, even Wendy and Soos left saying they should get to work as well.

"Wow, people just obey you like that?"

"Well, we're pirates, but even we respect hierarchy. I'm the second in command, so they kinda have to comply if they don't want to walk the plank."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"But… You're so young. Is it because the captain is your father?"

"What? No!" He looked a bit insulted. "I earned it. Being a pirate is all I ever wanted to be, I worked hard to get what I have. I'm not just some royal brat that has everything just because I inherited it."

"Sorry." Her voice was soft and taken aback. He immediately regretted his words.

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that… I just…"

"No, it's okay. You're right. I'll inherit this whole kingdom just because my father rules. But I never asked for it. It's really nice of you to fight so hard for what you want and stand in a high position because you chose it."

"You're making me feel like a jerk right now…"

"You shouldn't. I was the one who thought you didn't deserve what you fight for."

"Anyway… I'm glad to see Robbie's face of defeat." He said gathering the cards on the table. "It's been so long since he lost that it was getting way over his head and it was starting to bug me."

"We were just having fun." She said, happily and totally clueless and it made him laugh a little as he finished collecting all the cards and placing them neatly on the middle of the table. She had already noticed he was kind of an organized person, and she admired it about him. She stood up and gestured to the purse full of golden coins. "I'm going to put it in my chambers now."

Dipper just stood there watching her walk away.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the court, things weren't going well. King Albert was restless and frustrated. More than usual. He saw the note Roderick left him in her room when he went himself hurry her, for she was taking awfully long to go down to the damn ball. The party was obviously cancelled immediately.

 _Your daughter has been taken by pirates right under your nose. She'll be yours within a month unharmed if you pay the right price. Wait for news._

 _You know who I am._

The words in the note couldn't get out of the king's mind and he had to leave his sister, Mrs. Northwest to take care of the kingdom until he was be up to it once more.

Albert kept wondering who would be capable of doing such a thing, and then, it hit him. The king knew him very well and now he cursed himself for not hanging him when he had the chance all those years ago, before he even became a pirate. He'd have nipped this problem in the bud. But now it was too late.

Mabel's friends and family were devastated; they only wanted to know if she was really okay, wondering just how pirates managed to get her. And her fiancé was angry. Very angry. The minute he heard the news, when the king cancelled the ball, Gideon sent word to his kingdom. He knew he'd have to take measures into his own hands.

And after two days, the people Gideon asked for finally reached him. Both were exhausted and sore. They came riding two horses each, so they could alternate the animals on the way. They barely slept and only stopped for short periods of time to eat. They had to immediately attend the prince's urgent note, they knew who really ruled the kingdom.

"Knights Powers and Trigger, it surely took you long enough to get here."

"We're sorry, Your Royal Highness. We came as soon as possible. What do you require from us?" Powers asked after both bowed to their prince, who was definitely both furious and concerned.

"The princess was taken by pirates, but apparently, it's going to take a while for them to claim their ransom. I want you to find her before then, I want my Sweet Peach back, immediately. Only God knows what they're doing to her, she's probably so scared right now…"

"But how would we do that, Your Royal Highness?" Trigger asked.

"I don't care how. You're my best trackers; find a way to get her back. They're pirates, bribe them with treasures if need be. I'll be willing to pay handsomely to have my Marshmallow back. I'll give some money for that mission as well and compensate both of you if you succeed and you will. If you need to contact me, just send me a dove. I'll be staying here in the capitol until she returns. Do not fail me."

"Of course, my Prince. But we don't even know what she looks like. Could you describe her for us?"

"I can do better." Gideon answered Trigger; his irritating, high-pitched voice boiling in anger. The prince took a few steps down the hall of the palace and stopped in front of a picture. Both trackers closely followed him. "That's the princess. Her name is Mabel and all I know was that she was taken by pirates two nights ago, before the beginning of the ball that we were going to announce our wedding. Find her and bring her to me safe and sound."

Both knights nodded in agreement, taking a long look at the painting, memorizing her features. They could see she was a pretty girl; her chestnut brown hair was up in a bun with a few strands of hair escaping the hairdo. She looked a bit bored and annoyed, maybe for having to stay put for so long so the artist could paint her portrait. She had that entire princess-y make up on and that only left her even more beautiful. A beautiful dress and jewelry were adorning her. The princess's face was turned to the side, almost in profile as she looked up trying to hide her annoyance.

The trackers bowed to their prince and left taking one last glance at the picture. If they were going to search for pirates, the first place they'd be going to look for information was city's the harbor.

* * *

Mabel had a small smile that she couldn't get out of her face. The afternoon was cozy with the wind blowing cold yet gently and the sunlight delightfully warm. She had never been so far up north, but she knew it was gonna get chilly at night. She almost jumped from surprise when she felt clothing being draped over her shoulders.

"You're gonna need it, _P_ _rincess_." She could swear she always heard some kind of mocking tone in his voice when he said that word. Then again, she supposed a pirate would always have some issues with royalty. But the thing was that Dipper was trying to keep his distance. He didn't want to be attached to her, so that was why he had been remaining aloof since he talked to his father in the navigation room earlier that day.

"You know you don't have to call me that, right? Especially if we're going to port."

"Indeed…"

"Just call me by my name, already. It's annoying to be called princess all the time. But thanks for the cloak, it's really sweet of you."

"I didn't give it to you because it's cold. I gave it so you can put the hood on and hide you face just in case anyone might recognize you."

"Okay. We can say however you want to, but I know that you have a good, caring heart." She said, poking his cheek once.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't let anyone know." He said crossing his arms and leaning to support himself on the wooden taffrail near where she was resting her arms.

"So, what is this city we're gonna port?"

"The name is Salus City. It's a bit crowded; a lot of people go there, but usually not the navy or any kind of royalty. Perfect place to hide you, in front of everyone, yet out of sight."

"And how long are we staying there?"

"As long as the captain commands."

"Have you talked to him? With the Captain. Is he really going to send me back?" She asked rising from the taffrail and pushing strands of hair out of her face, that kept coming because of the wind, while she looked at him with expectation.

"He said he'd think about it." He hated to lie, but all he needed was to buy some time, as Roderick said, she'd want to go back. Eventually.

"Okay…" Mabel mumbled, looking away

"Why? Why you don't want to go back? And don't say 'it's my business', okay? I'm putting in a lot of effort here and I don't even know why."

"You're right. I'll tell you, but only if you promise to keep it a secret. Can you do it?"

" _Princess_ , I'm a pirate, I think I can keep one little secret."

He tried not to notice how beautiful she looked, but it was impossible. Without the fancy dress and rich accessories, she seemed even more beautiful. He wasn't a fool, he noticed how women could be beautiful when they dressed up, but Mabel was different. The lack of overly feminine clothing and jewelry matched her free spirit better.

"Good." Mabel said looking around to guarantee he'd be the only one to hear it. "I hate it there."

"Wha- Why?"

"The castle might be beautiful, but to me it was only a cage. A fancy, elegant and enormous one, but a cage nonetheless. And all I wanted was to be free. I hated being told what I had to do and when, never being able to make my own decisions, never even getting to pick whatever I wanted to wear because it wasn't considered graceful and stylish enough. And worst, my dad never really cared for me and was making me marry a prince from the neighboring land… All I wanted to do was to get away and see the world."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Don't you think I tried? I lost count of how many times I managed to get out of the castle's walls just to be caught by my dad's guards and be dragged back unwillingly. Two days before you kidnapped me, my dad told me about my soon to be husband and introduced him to me." She confessed, crossing her arms and diverting her eyes as she remembered the events. "That ball on the day of the kidnapping was to tell everyone about the wedding. And the day before, I discovered my dad had sold my horse to someone he didn't even mention just so I couldn't try to run away again since the previous time I tried I almost succeeded."

"That's… That's awful."

"So yes, I don't want to go back there. As you know, I've been trying to run away for some time now. And I didn't even care when my dad said I wouldn't last a day outside of the castle's walls. I knew it would be worth it. But of course I miss people in there. Not a lot of them, though. Just the ones who really cared about me and whom I know I can really trust, and I could use a single hand to count them. Most people in there are just for appearances and they wouldn't care for anyone but themselves."

"A castle full of people and you can't even find just five who actually care for you?"

Mabel made a small smile and shook her head slowly from side to side, replying in a whisper, "No."

"Not even if you count me in?"

Her smile turned to a more sincere one. "Well, maybe if I count you in I can use a full hand to count them."

Dipper raised his lips in a very attractive smile and slowly reached for her right hand, holding her little finger gently. She had to ignore the butterflies on her stomach when he touched her.

"And who would that be?"

Mabel sighed with a small smile. "My aunt Mary, who practically raised me."

"And this one?" He asked kindly grabbing the nearest finger.

"My ladies, the only two girls that understand me and tried to help me escape, Candy and Grenda." She said the last name after a small pause, gesturing the third finger. Instead of asking, he just got the next finger. "Old McGucket, he's the man who takes care of the stables, he used to take care of my mother's horse and mine and he actually helped me escape a few times by leaving my horse ready to run away."

"And this?" He said getting hold of the thumb and last finger on her hand.

Mabel looked up at him, into his dazzling chestnut eyes. She could get lost in them in a heartbeat. She tried to remember everyone else in the palace, but she couldn't recall anyone else that might care for her and whom she could trust so she guessed that if she was taking so long, there probably wasn't anyone else. But it was okay, she liked quality over quantity better.

"You."

He looked at her a bit sadly and deeply intense. How could someone not care for her that much? He barely knew her and he thought he'd already be willing to do anything to put a single, sincere smile on her face.

"So that's why you left? Because it was nothing but a fancy cage with not even a handful of people whom you can trust?"

"Yes. But not only that."

"What else, then?"

She actually had no intention in saying it, but when she found herself she just couldn't help it.

"Because I know if I stayed it wouldn't be long until I'd encounter a fate worse than death."

"And what would that be?" He frowned, confused. She took a deep breath, looking intently into his brown eyes until she finally managed to choke out a few words.

"Living with a broken spirit."

* * *

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 **Itban Fuyu**


	6. 5 - Uniqueness

**First, Thank you, Ladipretender, for editing this chap! You're amazing! :D**

 **Thanks for al the great reviews and support you've been giving me! I really appreciate it! :D**

 **So, here's another chap, I hope you'll all enjoy and review!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

 **Uniqueness**

" _Living with a broken spirit."_

Those words kept reverberating in Dipper's head for hours. He tried to picture her like that. But for some reason he got nauseated every time. And it had nothing to do with the motion of the ship, he was way too used to that by now. How could she be Mabel without all that… Mabel-ness? Her funny jokes and awkward comments, her weirdness that made her so unique? So special? How could it be?

He still remembered what his father had told him. She'd want to go back eventually, but now how could he just leave her like that? What the bloody hell had happened in the palace to make her believe she'd get her spirit broken if she stayed? Dipper needed to know. He couldn't handle not knowing something. Solving mysteries was in his nature.

But first, he needed to settle his mind. He was dang confused, struggling between what his father had told him and what she had revealed to him earlier. Could it be that she was just overreacting? Maybe that was it, but Mabel didn't really seem like the kind of girl to overreact to this kind of thing. Then again, he had only known her for 2 days, it's not like he could understand what she overreacted to or not. But his father, well he known him his whole life and Dipper knew that Roderick was usually always right. Especially considering something he had planned for a long time. Yet, her words stuck in his mind like glue.

A broken spirited Mabel? That was impossible. She was so eager, so full of energy, so positive, so funny, so cutely weird, so adorable, so happy, so… So Mabel. What on earth could break that? Nope. Nothing. She was definitely overreacting. That was it. It was the only answer, right? The only logical explanation. But alas, it wasn't something logical. Not logical at all.

Dipper was starting to get a headache. Maybe he was overthinking it too much. Like he always did when something intrigued him. He sighed heavily. No. He was not gonna do it. He was not going to overthink this. Like his father said, she'd eventually want to go back home. It wasn't worth overthink it anyway.

To try and chill out, Dipper got a book and sat by the main mast in the middle of the deck. Because that was what Dipper did to relax, he read. A habit that no one else on the ship could quite understand, but they respected, because they knew their second in command could easily punish anyone that would mock him. Dipper was once a wimp, a weak and frail boy, but he grew out of it through intense training, and even though he was not exactly bulky, but he had brains, techniques and agility enough to defeat any opponent twice his size.

He sighed and started reading. He turned a page. And another. But then, laughter interrupted him. It was a beautiful sound, sincere and not irritating to the ears, a kind of laughter he was starting to get used to. Even so, his shoulders fell as if he was annoyed. He looked up.

Mabel was standing on the taffrail. Her arms open wide to welcome the blowing wind. Dipper's jaw dropped; this girl was simply insane. Insane! She was like a kid that needed constant watching. And he's too young to take care of children. He slammed the book shut and stood up, leaving it behind.

"Mabel! Get down right now!"

"Oh, come on, I always wanted to do that. Don't you just feel free like that?"

"No, that's totally cliché. And you don't understand, you might get hurt or fall into the sea. The water bumps against the ship and it might move suddenly and you'll lose balance."

"You're talking like my aunt and the babysitters I had back in the castle. If I get hurt, I'll heal and if I fall into the ocean, you'll catch me. You need me for the ransom." The last part came out more bitter than she intended. Dipper sighed.

"Don't talk like that. It's not all about money." She didn't even bother to speak; she just crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. He couldn't really say anything else. He looked away for a moment, not really knowing what to do until he saw her hand right in front of his face. He looked up and saw that usual smile on her lips.

"Come. Join me."

"You know this is going to be stupid, right?"

"Duh. That's what makes it fun! Come and see I'm right."

He rolled his eyes but complied nonetheless. He jumped on the taffrail ignoring his danger alerts without taking her hand to help him because that would just destroy his manly ego.

It was different to stand on the taffrail instead of the deck. The floor was unsteady; it was like he could really feel the flow of the ship cutting through the water for the first time. If he looked to his right, he would only see the ocean, almost like he would be walking on water, or like he could fly. He could understand what she meant, now.

"See?" He heard her soft voice and felt her hand brushing his.

"Yeah, I guess maybe you're not as crazy as I thought. But you're much more reckless."

"I can live with that. Isn't it nice to be up here?"

"I feel like the king of the world."

"Oh, silly one. Do I have to teach you _everything_?" Mabel asked raising her arms and hands, inclining her head back just a little in a 'why me' pose before she turned to look at him. Her voice was joyful and serious at the same time and he wondered just how she managed to do that. "Kings and queens can't be free, so you shouldn't compare yourself to them."

"Okay, oh, wise one." He tried to imitate her voice and paraphrase her words in a mocking way. The blowing wind was quite strong and brushed his hair back and to the sides, not stopping to swing his chestnut short locks, giving a glimpse of his forehead once in a while. "What should I compare myself with, then?"

"Hum… Let me see… Maybe birds. They can fly and they're free to go wherever they want to."

"Compare myself to birds does not have the same impact to say I'm a king, you know."

"Mock if you wish, but I speak the truth."

As she finished her sentence, the seawater hit the ship with a bit more of force than usual, as Dipper predicted, and it was enough to make them lose their balance. Maybe he could manage to keep standing, after years of being on a ship, if it wasn't for a little detail that she ended up bumping into him. Both fell very ungracefully to the deck's floor. He serving as a cushion for her, since she landed right on top of him.

"Ouch. That is gonna hurt in the morning… I told you it would happen. Sometimes I hate that I'm always right…" He mumbled with his eyes closed trying to move his limbs as if he had broken something, but everything seemed quite in place. His shoulders suddenly stiffened when he felt her soft gentle fingers brush his bangs off of his forehead. His first instincts were to cover it with his hand.

"I knew my eyes weren't deceiving me. You do have something here. What is it?"

"It's a stupid birthmark."

"Is it just me or does it look like the Big Dipper?"

"No, it's not just you."

"That's why people call you Dipper?"

"Yeah…" He mumbled sitting up, so he could put his bangs back to cover it. "I didn't really have a problem until people started to make fun of me when I was a kid, that was when I started covering it up. You weren't supposed to look at it. It's ridiculous."

"That's so mean. Why would they do that?" She asked, almost angry. "You have the sky in you. It makes you unique, and maybe even special. Don't be ashamed of it just because people don't see the beauty of it."

"Are you crazy? Everyone think it's weird. And it is."

She smiled and poked both of his cheeks with her index fingers before she stood up and sauntered away. He sighed, tired and laid back down again, feeling his back hurting. He put his arm on his eyes to shelter them from the sunlight.

* * *

"So what now, Captain Ivan?" the loyal Toby Determined asked his leader.

Also known as Blind Ivan for losing the sight in one eye, the captain was usually as merciless as any other pirate. He was proud to say he always got what he wanted. But right now he couldn't really claim that. He stood in the navigation room of his own ship, drinking and thinking what'd be his next step. He was not pleased with the turns of the events.

"They said she was kidnapped by pirates, right?" Ivan asked running his hands on his chin as he was thinking. With the other hand, he was holding a bottle of rum. The captain liked how Toby could always get the information he wanted or needed.

"Yes, sir. After that ball they found a warning note for the King."

"I've heard that Roderick's ship was here two days ago…" Ivan mumbled angrily, the dots were already connected in his mind; he just had to say it out loud to confirm it.

"You don't think he did that, right? He couldn't know we would get her that night too…"

"No, but he's the only pirate I know that is both smart enough to think about it and be stupidly brave enough to actually do it… I knew we should have gotten here earlier..."

"But we had orders to get her only after the ball…" Toby's whining voice argued reasonably. "And it would be much easier to sneak inside the castle when everyone was gone and in the middle of the night. It would be too difficult to climb the walls at the beginning of the evening."

"I know, and because of that we were too late. At least there's one piece of good news about this situation."

"And what would that be?" Toby's voice was uncertain as always, raising his arms in a questioning way.

"The price for the princess head just got higher." Ivan said with a very shifty smile on his lips. "And if Roderick got her, I know exactly where we have to go. Warn the others. We're setting sail to Salus City. We're gonna get ourselves a princess."

* * *

Mabel left her room, Wendy was kind enough to bring her breakfast earlier and she was just finishing tying a cloth she found at the end of her side braided hair. She was thankful that Dipper gave her the cape last evening, the night was quite cold and she needed to use the cloak along with the cover to stay warm and cozy.

She found Dipper sitting on the deck, reading a book that was being supported by the bent knee of his right leg, while the other leg was extended on the wooden floor. He had a dark leather overcoat around him, and it suited him very well. She smiled and sauntered to him before sitting by his right side.

"I was wondering when are we going to get there?"

"Soon." Mabel wasn't mad at the fact that he didn't even look up at her, he was reading, after all.

She embraced her knees up and decided to just talk to him. She liked being around Dipper. He was nice, sweet and gentle to her, even though he tried not to show his kind nature. She also admired how strong and independent he was. And the thing she liked the most about him was that he didn't have that judge-y look on his face whenever she said or did something weird.

"Yeah, but soon when?" the girl insisted and he just shrugged.

"I don't know. I can't be sure. It depends on the weather, the wind. But I suppose around noon."

"Okay."

Then, after turning a page, he finally looked up from his book and grinned at her with a raised eyebrow. He extended his right leg and bent the other so he could rest the book down on his thigh and support his left arm on his bent knee.

"Why do you ask? Tired of living in a ship already? It only took you like, three days. It must be a record for someone so willing to go on adventures."

"I still am. It's just that the captain said that there's limited water supply for each person. And I kinda need to wash my hair. Do you think I can put a barrel of water in my chamber next time we set sail? I think there's just enough space near the drawer without getting in the way of the door to open. Or between the bed and the wall of the door."

"I don't think you could handle how narrow the space would be. I mean, it is already small enough, you're used to bigger quarters." Dipper pointed out.

"I can handle the lack of space, what I can't handle is dirty hair. And body, too. Does the place we're going have bathtubs? I'd like to stay in one for hours too…"

"Hum… no. Of course not." He said with an obviously-not tone of voice. "But you may take as many sponge baths as you want when soon as we get there."

"And how what's this place?"

"I already told you about the city." Dipper commented, resting his head on the taffrail behind him. The book was still open, the wind was trying to make the pages pass, but his thumb prevented it. She couldn't help but notice how beautifully deep his chestnut brown eyes looked when the sunlight caught his face after a cloud passed.

"I meant the place we're staying _in_."

"Oh. Well, the rest of the crew usually go to some taverns, some even stay in the ship for the night, but we're staying in my Grunkle's house."

"Grunkle?"

"Grand-uncle."

"Interesting! Does he like having visits? Is he one of those cute old people who are always sweet?"

Dipper laughed. Stan was far from that. He wasn't mean, but he was a pirate and he was the one who taught Dipper everything he knew about piracy.

"Not at all. But yeah, he kinda does like it when we visit, so he can make me work in his shop… Usually, Wendy helps, too. And Robbie, but it's not like he has much choice."

"Why not?"

"Robbie doesn't have a place to stay, so he stays with us as well. I mean, he could just go to a tavern or stay in the ship, but when he was younger, my dad wouldn't let him stay in those places, so it's still kind of habit for him to stay with us. He has the choice to sleep with us, but if he does, he has to work in the shop."

"Would I be too annoying if I ask why and how your father knew him when he was younger?"

"Yes, you would be."

"I'm asking anyway."

Dipper sighed, annoyed, and looked at the page of the book before shutting it.

"Fine. My dad met Robbie right after he lost his parents. He was an orphan, alone, and wanted to be a pirate. So my dad took him in as a cabin boy, who's a boy to serve the captain of a pirate ship. Usually those boys can be kidnapped and brought into service, but in his case, Robbie wanted to go. Not long after that, my dad started to teach him how to swordfight and stuff. So when my father came back to Salus City with Robbie, it was like having the older brother I never wanted."

"So I take it you never got along well?"

"Definitely not. We kinda hate each other, but in a non-life-threatening way, we can stand being around the other without anything being broken. It got worse after he got the girl I liked, though."

"The girl you liked? You mean… Wendy?" She asked in a very teasing tone, poking his cheek.

"Oh, shut up… Why the hell did I tell you that?"

"How should I know? But that just proved I'm right. You like Wendy."

"Lik _ed_. In the past. She's just a friend, now. It was a long time ago anyway…"

"And is there another girl you like at the moment?"

He was a bit taken aback by her question and he didn't expect his eyes to trace her body, every curve, every inch in a fraction of a second, landing on her eyes. Mabel's chestnut pools were looking right back into his brown ones, anxiously. He realized that he was attracted to her to some extend. But he had to push it away, so he just broke eye contact and looked back to his book, not forgetting to shrug like he didn't care for the subject.

"No."

And it was true. He didn't have any interest in anyone at the moment. Some minor attraction to the pretty girl they kidnapped and who was sitting by his side, but he refused to let it grow into something bigger. He refused to suffer like his father did all those years and like he himself did when he lost Wendy. Though he knew what he felt for the pirate girl was nothing serious, just a kid's crush. But it hurt nonetheless.

"I see…" Mabel mumbled to herself, not letting her voice betray her. She gulped, noticing how sad and happy she was at the same time.

And what was she expecting anyway, really? That he'd say he liked her and they'd both kiss and be happy for the rest of their lives? That was stupid and Mabel knew it. And it was cheesier than the fairytales stories her aunt told her when she was 5 years old. And at the same time, she was happy that there was no other girl on his mind.

There was no reason for him to like her. Or vice versa. They barely knew each other and she knew they couldn't be together. She was a princess and he was a pirate. Then why did her heart feel so weirdly heavy? She pushed it away shaking her head. Then she forced a smile on her lips.

"Hey, I was wondering, is the room I'm staying in previously yours?"

"Yeah. Why? And how did you know?"

"I noticed that the other three rooms the same size of mine are being used by Soos, Wendy and Robbie and that they're quite important, you know, they have commanding stations and so do you. So I know you wouldn't be sleeping with the rest of the crew. I suppose you're sleeping in your father's chambers, am I right? It's like the double of the size of mine so it must have enough space."

"It does. And you're right. But I don't mind. And neither does he. And it's for a short while anyway."

"So you're sending me back, after all?"

Dipper widened his eyes, realizing he said things he wasn't going to. He practically jumped where he was sitting. His heart sank the minute he heard her voice so sad and broken, as if she lost hope. Dipper snapped his head up, looking at her in a mix of regret and seriousness.

"No. I mean, I'm trying to avoid that. Unless you want to go, of course. What I meant is we're staying in Salus City for a while. And even if we set sail again, Soos can stay with his girlfriend and Stan in the city so I can get his cabin. Worst case, we can make the navigation room a room for you or something. We can figure something out, okay?"

"Okay."

"So don't be sad. Nothing is settled yet." He told her, but remembering the simple truth that she'd want to go back eventually.

Dipper just needed to keep her spirit up for a while, because a crushed Mabel would be even harder to stand than the happy-to-go weird Mabel. And maybe his father was really right, after all, she was already looking forward to land anyway. She probably wouldn't want to stay on a ship for long periods of time.

Wendy suddenly came with quick steps to the taffrail not far from them.

"Hey, guys, look! We can already see the city from here. We're arriving earlier than noon." She exclaimed making Mabel stand up to look at the horizon curiously. "I can't wait to get back; I miss my dad and brothers so much."

Dipper also stood up, leaning on the taffrail, resting his arms and elbows on the wood as he realized something for the first time. Suddenly what his father said made even more sense. Wendy could have the adventures she wanted, she could set sail with them but she had a family in Salus City, one that she visited often. A family to turn to when she was tired, a place to call home when she just wanted to chill out and be on land for a while. Just like him and his father, both had Grunkle Stan's place. Soos had his girlfriend. Some of the crew knew people while the majority didn't really care for those things because they left their families or lost them long ago.

However, Mabel was different. She'd have to choose. A choice between the life of a pirate or life with her friends and family... She couldn't have both. And she'd miss them so much that she'd want to go back. She only needed time to see it for herself. But then, why was the only time he saw her so sad and maybe about to cry was when she was confronted with the fact she'd have to go back? There was something fishy going on there. And he needed to find out what was it.

* * *

 **Please don't forget to tell me if you liked it! I love reading your thoughts of the story!**

 **And after that, you can check my profile for other fic or go to my DA link to see some drawings, including some for this story like a newly updated Captain Roderick sketch.**

 **Itban Fuyu**


	7. 6 - Escape

**First, Thank you, Ladipretender, for editing this chap! You're amazing! :D**

 **Thanks so much for all he reviews and support you've been giving me so far! I really appreciate it!**

 **And don't forget to check my DA account, the link it in my profile, I'll be updating some pics for this fic there.**

 **I'm sorry it took so long, but here is the next chap! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 **Escape**

The ship finally made it to the city's harbor and a ramp was put between the vessel and the port. It took some time before the captain authorized them to leave, he had orders to issue and stuff to settle before they could depart the ship. And when they did, Mabel just couldn't stop looking around with her mesmerized brown eyes.

Everything was so vibrant, so amazing, so full of movement and color, so full of people everywhere, she just couldn't stop taking it all in. Mabel always wanted to see beyond the palace's walls. Inside the castle everything used to be so boring and dumb, except when there were parties, then, the great hall would be filled with music, dances and joy. Though balls and commemorations didn't happen the way she wanted them to.

But walking on the streets of this city was something different. She liked being around people, with movement, with life. It was vibrant and exciting. Dipper laughed slightly behind her and gently grabbed her hand when she started to drift off away from them.

"You know, you're supposed to look normal so we can keep a low profile."

"I know…" She mumbled, still smiling joyfully. "But what's the problem anyway? It's not like anyone saw me before, right? I almost never got out of the castle anyway, so only the servants and the kingdom nobles know what I look like and as far as I can tell, there's none of either here, right?"

"It's true. But don't call too much attention, okay? And let's go. I'm hungry and we still have to cook." So he started pulling her with quick steps, she sauntered down the streets after him. Roderick was just ahead of them.

"Well, guys, I'll see you later." Wendy announced waving goodbye. "I'm gonna see my family now." Robbie then pulled her into a kiss before she walked away. Soos and Robbie kept following them to Stan's place.

It took them 15 minutes more walking into the city, dodging carriages as well as people working and carrying stuff from place to place.

"Isn't it all so wonderful? So beautiful?" She asked Dipper.

"Hum… no. Not at all. I mean, not only because it's pretty normal to me but also I don't really like crowded places. It's like you just can't sneeze without everyone looking at you like some kind of foreigner. It's so stupid."

"Uhh, looks like someone has some staring issues around here…" She teased.

"I don't have issues of people around me, I have issues with stupid people acting stupid."

"Do you think I'm stupid? Just because I like to joke around?" Her voice was soft and calm, but with a hint of insecurity hidden behind it as she raised an eyebrow. Dipper just shrugged, and if he noticed the hidden feelings or not, he didn't let it show.

"Nah. You're weird rather than stupid. But it's a cool weird, I guess. Just don't let it get over your head or the crown won't fit."

"Well, thank you, mister pirate. You're not that bad yourself."

"Anyway, we're here."

She looked in the direction he pointed and saw a shop; it was small compared to the brick-made building. However, it looked quite full of stuff inside, she could see through the slightly dirty window beside the wooden door. The window was the kind that couldn't open; it was just to see inside and was made in a diamond-shape pattern. Over the entrance, painted in red, there was a sign that stated, "Mystery Shack".

"Oh, it's so adorable!"

Dipper smiled at the girl's happiness. How could someone be so happy-like all the time? It was like she could lift anyone's spirit being so weirdly funny. He loved that about her. Well, he meant he _liked_ that about her. Because he didn't love her at all. Not one bit, obviously.

"We're gonna go inside through the shop entrance, but there's another door behind it, it leads to inside the house, not the shop." Roderick explained. "There's a small living room and a quite big kitchen, with a large table so we can all sit at. On the upper floor there are three rooms and you're gonna stay in one of them. If you promise to behave, we may let you without locking the door or the windows."

"Oh, Captain, I mean, Roderick." She corrected herself very quickly and then waved her hand in a 'come on' kinda way. "Pfff, why would I do that when you're being so kind to me?"

"Good girl. We don't want any problems, do we? I know you ain't gonna do something stupid." He said, "Now let's get inside the shop."

The captain led the way and she went right behind, the other guys following as well. They entered the shop and found an old man behind a counter. His clothes were commoner's, like everyone else she saw, but they were very clean and neat.

"Welcome to the Mystery Shack." The man said, opening his arms in a hospitable gesture.

"Hey, Grunkle Stan." Dipper greeted.

"So you're Dipper's famous Grunkle."

"I see my favorite grand-nephew told you about me…"

"Hum… I'm your only grand-nephew…" The young teen said in an annoyed, matter-of-fact, tone of voice.

"Anyway, are you sure you got the right girl? I expected a really naggy royal princess and not some smiling, pretty one."

"Oh, the stereotypes." She said waving her hand. "Anyhow… I don't mean to be rude, but I'm indeed getting very hungry now. Would you have something for us?"

"But of course. Soos, your girlfriend Melody is in the kitchen. I asked her to make something for us since I knew you'd be getting here around noon. You're a bit earlier than I expected, though."

"The wind helped us with that. We'll go there, then. Come one, guys." Roderick ordered, entering an opening behind the counter, the door that connected the shop to the inside of the house.

"I'll be in shortly, I just have to close the shop for lunch time." Stan informed them as they entered.

Mabel noticed that the house was very simple, but not miserable. It was a commoner's one, however not the poor kind, and if she remembered well, Dipper mentioned that Stan lived alone now and it was a 3 room house, which meant that the shop could bring in enough for him to support it. The small living room had a couch and an armchair, both seemed quite old and the table in the middle of the room looked like it was even more so. Even though visibly antiquated, everything was organized and clean.

They soon passed through the kitchen, which, judging by the big, aged wooden table alongside the oven, washbasin and big wooden shelf to store food, was big enough to include a dining room. In the middle of the kitchen there was a beautiful, slightly chubby woman, happily cooking.

The woman was Soos's girlfriend and they soon introduced her to Mabel. As they explained to her, Melody was a neighbor, living by herself in a small house and she usually helps Stan with the shop or bringing him food whenever he wanted, since he didn't have time to cook himself most of the time. It was rather apparent that he paid for her help so she could in return pay her bills.

They helped Melody set the table and they were all sitting there quickly to eat lunch together.

Mabel looked around the full table. It wasn't very large, she was used to enormous ones, probably 3 to 5 times bigger than this. Yet, even when there were a lot of people around her, she usually felt lonely. Making small talk and commenting on stupid stuff with those sitting around her without even really remembering their names, but she had to sit with them nonetheless.

The feeling she had sitting around these pirates, people she barely even knew, was different, she couldn't explain how or if it was better or worse. She only knew it was different.

As soon as they finished having lunch, they put their dishes in the washbasin, but before they could do anything else, Melody offered to wash all so they could rest a little from the trip.

"Well, guys, why don't you go upstairs to change and stuff, tomorrow will be a big day. I'll go back to the shop." Stan suggested.

"Sure. Come, Mabel, I'll show you your temporary room." Dipper said gesturing the way with his hand.

The princess walked right up the stairs behind the young pirate. There were three rooms there, just like Roderick had said and Dipper gestured to one of them. The upper floor seemed smaller than the first floor, with enough space for only the three rooms, but they looked quite spacious. He opened the door and left room for her to pass.

"Here it is. This is going to be your room while we're here. Just feel comfortable or whatever."

"Thanks." She said taking a look inside. "May I ask something?"

"Shoot."

"Is this your room, too?"

"Well… Yeah… How do you know?"

"It's just that I see guy's clothes like the ones you use on the bed, and on the drawer… and in that corner."

"What?" His head soon turned to the places she mentioned and pointed and he blushed as he realized he didn't really clean his room the last time he was on the shore. "Sorry… Washing clothes is a waste of time…" He mumbled, embarrassed, before entering and picking up the dirty laundry spread over the room, while pretending not to hear the soft and adorable giggle of hers being contained by a hand on her mouth.

"I'm sorry to be taking your room again."

"It's okay. I'll just crash in the guest room with my dad. It's bigger anyway, so…" With a shrug, he ended the sentence as if it didn't matter.

"Anyway, I'm honored with all the care you've been giving me."

"Well, wether we want it or not, you're still a princess and we don't want to hurt you. We just want the money."

"Of my ransom." He mentally slapped himself when he heard her sweet voice sad like that; it was almost heartbreaking. Almost.

"Or anything else." He said assuringly. "Look, I think it's too soon for you to decide if you want to stay here or not. But if you do, all we gotta do is find some other way to get money and treasure."

"Thanks… And would you have something for me to change into? I'd like to bathe now."

"I think my dad left some stuff for you in the top drawer. The other ones are mine, so don't touch them, okay?" It sounded like a question, but the words carried a demanding tone. Mabel nodded. "There's a basin and sponge and soap over there. I think here'd be the best place for you to do it; no one will come to disturb you. Just come down when you feel like it, okay?"

"Sure. Thanks."

She then entered and he left, closing the door behind him. Mabel locked the door and even though it was day, she lit a lamp so she could close the wooden panel of the window for some privacy. She looked around; despite the dirty clothes he collected, the room was quite organized.

As soon as she entered the room, the princess could see the bed with the head board touching the middle of the wall on her right, there was a bedside table in front of it, also touching the same wall. Behind the bed, on the wall opposite of the door, she could see a stand filled with books. And on the left wall, sat a drawer, an old wooden table, and a chair beside it. She walked closer and saw a lamp and some books and papers all over the table.

Mabel opened the top drawer and found several items: a simple white nightgown and apron, two different sets of clothes, both complete with long skirts, shirts and bodices as well as other accessories. She even found attar of lavender, olive oil for her hair and a cream for her skin in the left corner. She smiled as she realized captain Roderick really tried to do whatever he could to make her feel comfortable during her stay with them. They were nothing like the description of pirates she had ever heard of and she was glad for it.

On the drawer there was a basin and a jar of water. She only needed to go back down to get soap, a sponge, a little bit of apple vinegar and bicarbonate of soda so she could get started in cleaning herself up.

It didn't take her long to finish, wetting a bit of the floor in the process, but she just left it there to air dry. The princess toweled herself off with a thick piece of cloth also found in the top drawer. She didn't forget to put a little bit of the attar of lavender on her hair to get rid of the smell of vinegar. Then she happily put on the salmon shirt and a dark blue corselet-like vest over it and a light purple long skirt before she went back down with the towel-like cloth over her dripping hair hanging on her left shoulder.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Mabel saw Roderick lighting the fireplace before sitting next to it in the armchair. Dipper was sprawled on the sofa that didn't really look like it was so comfortable. The young pirate didn't seem to care, though. He was just talking to his father mindlessly looking at nothing, but he kinda lost words at the sight of her.

"Hi, Mabel." The captain greeted. "Come and join us by the fireplace, get yourself warm after your bath. It's probably much colder here than your palace."

"It is indeed, but I'll manage."

Dipper quickly sat up straight in the middle of the sofa, being sure to divert his eyes from her. Geez, he was glad she was wearing that dark vest, he didn't think he'd be able to look away, especially if the pink shirt became a bit transparent with her wet hair slightly dripping over her chest. She sat next him on the sofa, nearest the fireplace, putting her hands closer to it to feel the radiating warmth.

"This is so cozy!" She giggled. "Cozy is such a funny word!"

"Hum. I think I heard Stan calling me, I better go check it out…" Dipper mumbled, getting up and walking away before anyone but himself notice his tomato-red face.

Roderick shrugged, not really paying attention to his son's sudden departure and just relaxed on Stan's favorite armchair.

"Despite being kidnapped and all, are you having a good time here?"

"Sure. I mean, you were kind enough to get everything I needed. Even olive oil for my hair and stuff like that. That was very sweet of you."

"Well, some fair lady once told me that beautiful skin, hair and its care are essential for a girl's appearance. So I put stuff like the ones she used for you. It was the least we could do."

"I'm still very grateful. You know, you're nothing like the tales of pirates I heard. It's so weird… I mean, I knew the moment I saw Dipper he wasn't a bad guy, but I didn't expect all of you to be so nice."

"But don't let us fool, you, Princess. Those stories you heard, probably most of them are totally true. I met some pirates that would torture their victims just for fun. We are a huge exception. Money and treasure are what matter for us. We have no reason to harm you, though those pirates I know, well, you wouldn't want to cross their pathes. Really. They're dangerous and if I get the chance, I'd kill them because I know they'd look for revenge and when you have something to care about, you can't let yourself give your enemy the chance to harm it."

At that moment, something like a thousand questions ran through the girl's mind. Did he already lose someone like that? Who was it? Was it Dipper's mother? If Stan was Dipper's grand-uncle, Stan must have had a sibling that was probably Roderick's mother or father, and if that's the case, maybe it could have been the person who was hurt by his enemy? Or maybe they tried to hurt Dipper, his only son? Something bad happened in his past. What it could have been?

But before she could ask anything, Roderick cleaned his throat and continued talking. She got the massage; he didn't want to speak about it.

"Anyway, Melody's food is great, isn't it? She's coming later to make us dinner. She makes a delicious stew."

"I imagine she usually cooks for you for a long time?"

"Not so long, but for some years now. It wasn't long after that Soos starting to date her."

"Oh, so cute. And are they compromised or something?"

"Not yet. Soos is kinda saving money so he can buy a house or something to support both of them. Melody lost her parents to the fever long ago; she now lives alone in a small house. Soos sleeps in here so bad rumors about her won't be spread. But I know he likes her and she likes him back. Anyway, she likes to help out Stan when we're away, he obviously pays her for that."

"Of course…" She mumbled, staring at the flames snapping and dancing while burning the wood. She was so nervous she felt her lips get dry and she had to lick them before continuing. She had to do that little piece of selfishness. "Roderick, I know it would be awful, but if I asked to stay with you pirates… would you allow it?"

Mabel turned her eyes to the captain and he seemed thoughtful, wondering his answer while looking at her with attention, as if he was studying her and her true intentions.

"I guess we could give it a try. If possible." The captain concluded.

Her smile turned out small. She thought she would be happier, but the truth was that she didn't really feel that he actually believed she wanted to stay or that it was possible.

"Hey guys! I'm back! I've heard Melody is making stew tonight!" Wendy said from the door.

"Girl, how can you eat so much and still be so skinny? Seriously, just stop that, you need to get stronger. You're a pirate, remember?" Roderick joked.

"Hello, Wendy. Nice to see you again." Mabel said standing up. "But if you excuse me, I think I'll finish drying my hair upstairs."

And then she was up. She didn't know how long she stayed in there, but no one went to disturb her. Except for hunger. It soon took her over and she went back down again, now her hair was dry, which made her not feel so cold anymore. However, she still needed to get something to eat. As she descended, she began hearing voices. After a few days in the ship, she was already capable of telling whose voice was speaking.

First she head Wendy and Dipper talking about something like setting the table, and then there was Roderick's voice, Soos, and Melody. They all seemed quite happy. And hungry, too, but Melody said it would still take a while for supper to be ready, so they might as well eat a piece of biscuit or bisket-bread just to not starve until it was dinnertime. She was about to enter and say she wanted some as well, but then Robbie's voice came as bored and frustrated as ever.

"Captain, I've been wanting to talk to you about something. Earlier today, back in the ship, I heard some men complaining. They want their money and they're afraid what they have from last raid won't be enough to last long if it takes too long to get the ransom. So when are we getting it?"

"We're getting it when we get it." Roderick's voice was suddenly deep and deadly serious. "And tell them not to waste everything they have on drinks and bitches. It _will_ take a while until we get the ransom. If I'm not clear enough, they're welcome to walk down the bloody plank the next time we set sail."

"Aye, Captain!" Robbie answered immediately.

"And Dipper, go with him. You're second in command so show a bit of authority."

"Aye, Captain." His son said going out of the door after his mate. No one saw Mabel on the way between the stairs and the kitchen entrance.

The princess gulped, ignoring the wetness forming in her eyes. She couldn't go back. It was just not an option. Mabel knew she had no other choice, if she wanted to be free, if she wanted to never return to what was waiting for her at the palace, she'd have to take matters into her own hands.

The crew wouldn't agree in not receiving their parts just for her to be free. They were pirates and money and treasure were more important than someone else's feelings. So she decided to leave. Now, before anyone noticed she was gone. She only went back up to get the cloak Dipper gave her to shelter her from the cold night and tip-toed back down.

While everyone was having conversations in the kitchen, she jumped out the window ignoring the hunger she was feeling and whispering apologies to no one in particular. They had been kind and gentle to her; she wanted them to get what they wanted. But she was not going back to the palace if she could prevent it.

* * *

 **I hope you're all enjoying it and please let me know on a review!**

 **Feedback is important and if I get a lot of reviews, I'll update faster! :D**

 **Itban Fuyu**


	8. 7 - Promise

**First, Thank you, Ladipretender, for editing this chap! You're amazing! :D**

 **Please keep reviewing, people! I really want to know how you like it!**

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* * *

 **Chapter 7**

 **Promise**

"Sir, I can't find the princess anywhere…" Wendy announced.

"I told you not to call her that while we're in the city." The captain countered automatically, and then realized what she had said. "Wait, what do you mean?"

"I mean that I can't find her anywhere." Wendy repeated, raising both hands and shrugging her shoulders. "It's like she just disappeared."

"Oh, great, the little brat got away. I'm gonna kick her royal butt when I get my hands on her." Robbie declared, incensed, hitting an open hand with his fist. Both he and Dipper had just come back from talking to the crew at the ship, harbor and taverns.

"You're not gonna do anything, Robbie. And we won't hurt her because we want a really large ransom, do you get it?" The captain said authoritatively.

"I know Sir, it's just that this girl pisses me off…"

"I know. That's why Dipper will go after her and not you."

"Me?" The second in command said, raising an eyebrow. "We don't even know if she really ran away or not."

"Because someone who's been captured wouldn't try to run away from her captors, right? Didn't I teach you the first thing, Kid?" Grunkle Stan told him skeptically. But Stan didn't know Mabel like Dipper did, he was the one who spent the most time with her until now. She wasn't like that, Dipper refused to believe she had really run away.

"With all of the respect, Captain, Dipper didn't really do a good job taking care of her until now…" Robbie teased.

"That's why he'll redeem himself by finding her and bring her back. Now go, Dipper."

"Aye, Captain," He replied, not wasting a second before he turned and barged out of Stan's house.

Dipper didn't understand her. But then again, he had to remind himself that she always kept doing the opposite of what he expected. He knew she didn't want to go back and he said he'd talk to his Captain to change his mind, but he hadn't failed yet, so why would she run? Why risk going into an unknown city with nothing, no money and without having means to support herself? She wouldn't last one night. It was crazy.

Where would she sleep? What would she eat? Didn't she ask herself these simple questions before she ran away? If she had, she certainly wouldn't have left because she would know she didn't know how to survive a cold night like this without food and shelter. Right?

The night was getting more and more chilly and Dipper cursed himself for not remembering to bring another vest or a coat. He even forgot to grab a cloak on his way to shelter him from the North's cold wind, but he couldn't go back anymore. He needed to find her first.

It was so icy that his breath was coming out as a gentle vapor and his fingers were getting cold and numb. He put his hands in his pockets to try to warm them. Dipper would lecture Mabel when he managed to lay eyes on her for making him go through this. He thought maybe he'd even yell at her, if it took too long. That was if he found her at all.

He was walking adrift, with no clue of where to go. It was getting later and the shops had been closed since the moment he left his Grunkle's place. Some of the taverns would still be open, but he was sure he wouldn't find her in any of those. Maybe he could search for inns around the village, but he knew she had no money with her. Mabel had nothing with her, and couldn't have filched anything from Stan, since, being so tight-fisted, he would have noticed before she even thought about it.

Lost in thought, Dipper didn't realize he was heading to the docks until he found himself asking why on earth he was there. There was no way she'd have come to this place, it was pure insanity. In a village like this, the docks were the place to find drunken men (most of them pirates) getting out of taverns and seeking a place to rest their tired bones or trying to find a woman they could pay to spend the night with. A pretty young girl like her would certainly draw attention. Especially if she didn't know how to defend herself and he was pretty sure Princess Mabel was not the kind of girl that got to learn how to swordfight. Besides, she had no place to go from here unless she entered in one of the ships unnoticed.

He sighed heavily and turned to leave, ignoring the four staggering men 15 meters away. What Dipper didn't notice was that one of them was not a man, and wasn't staggering, but was being followed by the other three. He only came to notice when he heard a commotion and the beginning of a girl's muffled scream.

His shoulders fell as he let his frustration out in a low groan, momentarily looking at the sky as if to ask 'why me?' He was not gonna turn his back; he knew deep inside he just couldn't help but butt in. Sometimes he wondered in shame why he had to be such a soft hearted gentleman. He turned in their direction with a very annoyed expression.

"Come on guys, don't do that to the girl, she obviously doesn't want it and you're wasting your time."

"Shut up, Kid. You know nothing!" One of them replied, even from afar they stunk horrifically of rum. It was too dark, but Dipper was quite sure they were some pirates who had ported a few hours after them, he heard they had raided a ship so they were doing what pirates did: spending it all on alcohol and women on the nearest shore.

"Just let her go." Dipper repeated, annoyed. He took two steps ahead, it was too dark and he couldn't see them properly, but he could tell that the hooded girl was desperately trying to escape the tight grip of one of the men's. The other two, that were previously in front of the girl just mindlessly running their hands on her, backed away and withdrew their swords.

"Make me." One of them said. Dipper couldn't help the slightly knave grin that appeared on his lips. He wasn't stupid, he knew how to fight, and he had been training for years.

"With pleasure. I was actually searching for a little fun tonight." He said as he withdrew his own sword. Dipper's cold and numb hand gripped the handle as he tried to ignore the sensation in his fingers. He might have been silly enough to forget a coat, but he wasn't stupid enough to forget his weapon. In fact, it was usually by his side all the time, even when he was sleeping the sword was within reach. Something Grunkle Stan taught him that had saved the old man's life countless times.

The first ran to attack with clumsy movements and Dipper didn't make any effort to try and hold his laugh. They were so sloshed that Dipper didn't even know how they were standing on their feet. Apparently, they didn't know the first thing: you don't get drunk and pick a fight. It was suicidal. And stupid.

All Dipper had to do was deflect a few blows and kick the men to the ground, once they were there, they didn't manage to get up so easily. By the time he was done, Dipper was closer to the girl and when he looked at her, he could see something familiar. Even with the hood of the cloak hiding her face, he recognized her. She had long, wavy chestnut hair and the cloak was the same one he had given to someone else.

"Mabel!" He was surprised he hadn't realized who it was before.

Then something in her snapped and she turned, sprinting as fast as she could. He didn't waste any time before racing after her. Until that moment, part of him actually believed she was not running away, maybe she had just gone for a walk and gotten lost or something, she wouldn't be so stupid as to just run away, right? But that belief was blown to pieces the moment she hurried away. It didn't take too long before he finally grabbed her.

He pinned her against the wall of a building without bothering to know if it was a shop, a house or tavern. Both were breathing heavily and quickly because of the short race. Dipper was holding her wrists, beneath the sleeves, against the wall and it made him very close to her, so close that their gentle puffs of breath mixed. She could tell he was mad, but even so, his grip wasn't harsh, it was just strong enough to prevent her from escaping again.

"I can't believe you just did that! Are you insane? Do you want to get yourself killed or something?"

"I heard you guys talking earlier." That statement caught him by surprise.

"What?"

"Robbie said he wants the money and so does the rest of the crew."

He gulped, he was so sure she wouldn't be close by in that moment that he didn't even bother to double check. That was one of the reasons he always checked everything at least two or three times. And he should have done it then. But that didn't mean this was the end. The crew would eventually let it go over time, all they needed was a few bountiful raids and they'd be satisfied. Or so Dipper hoped. And it didn't mean he'd stop asking his father, the captain, to let her stay as she asked him.

"But-" He tried to reason with her, however, she didn't listen; she just kept talking as if he was mute.

"And I get it. You're pirates and you're in it for the money."

"I know, but we-" And he was interrupted once again.

"Even that stupid crown I was wearing when you kidnapped me wouldn't be enough to satisfy them, I mean, the ransom of the princess of the realm? It would probably be enough to give them each the value of ten crowns." She kept babbling nonstop with her head down, her hood still covering her face.

"Will you just let me spea-" He was really getting tired of not being heard.

"But I can't go back." Her voice came, breaking as if she was about to cry. Then, she finally looked up at him and the vision took the words out of his mouth and nearly broke his selfish pirate heart apart.

Dipper knew she was beautiful, but he had never seen Mabel so stunning. She looked like an angel. The dim light of the moon shone upon her and it was almost like her skin was glowing. That beautiful wavy chestnut hair framed her pretty face like the frame of a masterpiece. Her eyes were wet and pleading, the round brown pools so deep it took his breath away.

The moment he saw the silent tears racing down her cheeks he knew in his heart he'd do anything for her. A strong urge to protect her suddenly overtook him and it was overwhelming.

"Look, I-" He managed to choke out, still a little taken aback, but she interrupted him one more time.

"Can't you just pretend you never found me? Just let me go and you'll never see me again." His heart skipped a beat at her words. He couldn't imagine himself never seeing her again; he greedily wanted that pretty angel all to himself. "I just… I can't go back, not now that I'm free from… I just can't."

"But I never-"

"Please don't take me back." Mabel pleaded and then he couldn't take it anymore. While she kept mumbling and complaining, he ignored her and exclaimed, exasperated.

"Geez, Woman, will you just shut up?" He yelled in frustration and, as if she wasn't shocked enough with his outburst, he leaned in the few centimeters that separated them and did something deep down he didn't even know he wanted to do so badly. He kissed her.

Though it wasn't a deep kiss, it was just a hurried one to surprise her so she would stop talking. It didn't really have the effect he wanted because the first thing she did when they separated was to point out the obvious. Dipper slowly let go of her wrists, but he stayed close as if to prevent her from escaping again.

"You kissed me."

"Yeah. I know. I just wanted you to stop and listen, okay?" She nodded, but he could see she was scared, she was sure he'd choose the money over her. He told her himself he didn't have a problem trampling over people to get what he wanted. "I never said that the decision was final. The captain said he was thinking about it because he's trying to find a way not to take you back to the palace and so am I. The crew wants the money, it's true, and we just have to wait for the dust to settle. And it takes some time, so you have to be patient."

"But what if they don't agree with it anyway? What if the King ends up offering an enormous reward for me? Maybe even double of what you planned for the ransom? Surely they'd do something to take me back." She was so beautiful he couldn't take his eyes off of her; it was like something on her drew him in, as strong as a wave of a storm in the middle of the ocean.

"Then I'll fight them." Her eyes narrowed in confusion and a spark of hope escaped through them. "I promise I won't let them take you. I promise you'll be safe. I will not let anyone take you back to the palace."

"Are you… Serious?" Her heart felt like it was being squeezed as a wave of hope washed over her. Dipper felt himself half smiling. He'd never been so serious in his entire life. He had never been so sure of something than he was of how much he wanted to protect her now.

"Yes." He replied, raising his hands to wipe away the traces of tears left on her cheeks. She savored the soft, intimate touch. Never before had a man been so kind and gentle with her and she actually expected that the last person to give her something like that would be a pirate. And then she wasn't afraid anymore; or at least not so afraid. She breathed, genuinely relieved for the first time in days. "So don't run from me anymore, okay?"

She was about to comply but then she realized something and raised her hands to touch his. "You're so cold." Mabel pointed out, it felt like his hands were two blocks of ice.

"Of course, I've been searching for you for hours now." He tried to joke as if he didn't care, but the truth was that the weather had been bothering him since he left Grunkle Stan's place.

"I'm sorry." She choked guilty as she held his hands in an attempt to warm him up. It was cold for her as well, but she was wearing more layers of clothing then he was.

"It's okay. I can handle a little bit of cold."

"You're freezing, Dipper. What did you have on your mind to leave without a coat or cloak in this weather?"

"You." He said with a playful, yet honest, smile on his lips that made her heart flip inside her chest.

Still blushing, she took off her cloak and put it over his shoulders.

"Well, now you found me. So keep that cloak to warm you up."

"And then you'll be freezing when we get to Stan's place."

"In that case we better hurry; don't you think, Dippinsauce?" He laughed at the affectionate nickname she gave him and nodded as he let himself be pulled by her.

"I bet we can get there pretty fast, Princess… If we go in the correct direction…"

"Oh." She stopped walking. "And what would that be, oh well-directed one?"

"I'm not that, it's just that I was raised here, remember? Now come, let me lead the way."

He gently pulled her by the hand the opposite way she was heading and started to walk with quick steps. He couldn't wait to get back inside his old home, eat or drink something hot and then go straight to bed only to wake up at lunch time. Though he knew Grunkle Stan would wake him at 7 am to start working.

For a long while, all they could hear was the sounds of their steps echoing through the streets. It was so dark and silent that it was a little too eerie, so Mabel decided to talk.

"So, was I really stupid back there?"

"You'll have to be a little more specific than that." He answered not really bothering to look back, not only because he was in a hurry, but also because he knew he might want to kiss her again. And that was not a good thing to do at all. He didn't like her; there was no reason to like her. She was still a spoiled, pampered princess who he just felt the necessity of helping. That's all. He's _not_ supposed to like her in any special way.

"Well… You know… Where I was. At the docks."

"Oh. That. Yes, it was indeed very stupid. What were you thinking?"

"I just… Didn't know. I guess I was hoping to find some mercantile ship I could sneak in and go away. I just wanted to leave."

"Well, in a city like this, the docks are always filled with men. Usually drunk men, most of them pirates, and they're all looking for a woman to have some fun. No one ever told you to be careful with those kinds of places?"

"Why would anyone say that? I barely left the walls of the castle my whole life."

"Well, then I'm saying now. Don't go wandering around the streets alone at nighttime and definitely don't go anywhere near men, especially in this city where most of them will be looking at you with dirty thoughts. It's very dangerous for a girl like you to wander around night in here, okay?"

"A girl like me? You mean someone stupid and naïve?"

"No, that's not what I meant. What I meant was that it's dangerous for pretty girls who don't know how to defend themselves."

"So… Do you think I'm pretty?" He didn't have to look to know she was smiling devilishly. He coughed to put himself together and stop blushing. He was glad that she was walking a bit behind him, so she probably couldn't see his red face.

"You know you are."

"You're right. I guess I'm just i-rres-sisti-ble!" She said the last word with emphasis moving her free hand to brush her hair in a playful manner just to joke around as always. He contained a laugh at her silly carefree way. It only showed how free her spirit was and he loved that about her.

 _You have no idea._ Dipper wanted to say, but instead he just ignored her comment and shrugged. "But, for example, there's no problem if Wendy goes there. She's very pretty, but she knows how to kick someone's butt if she has too. You, don't. So you can't be alone in there anymore, okay?"

"Okay. I get it." Her tone of voice suddenly became sad and gloomy, and he risked quickly glancing back. She was a mix of annoyed and angry at the same time.

Mabel didn't know where that burning feeling came from that made her heart squeeze in agony the moment he said that he found Wendy very pretty while she was just pretty. And sure, Wendy had a boyfriend, Robbie, but their relationship was not what Mabel could call stable, they were often breaking up and making out in a daily basis or so Wendy once told her back at the ship.

What was going on with her after all? She was a very perceptive girl, she had realized she liked Dipper and liked being around him. He was kind, gentle and sweet, even though he tried to hide it with a tough pirate façade. But did she like him that much? How much did she like him? She had yet to discover that answer.

"Look, I'm not trying to boss you around or something I just don't want you to get hurt. Got it?"

"Okay." She replied simply.

There was a long moment of silence again, only their footsteps could be heard. But there was something Dipper had been struggling to ask her for some time now. He breathed heavily, gathering up the courage because he didn't want her to feel cornered and forced to run away again.

"Mabel, what is the reason you want to run away from the castle so badly?"

"Duh! I already told you, remember?" She said in her normal, cheerful tone again. He always found it amazing how she could change from being so gloomy to abnormally happy in a matter of seconds. "I always wanted to run away. They try to control me there, they try to make me someone I'm not and I just couldn't take it anymore."

"I mean the _real_ reason you're running from. What are you really scared of?"

"There's nothing else, Dipper. I already told you." Her voice still came out somewhat cheerful, but with a seriousness beneath it as if to make her statement more true. It was enough to convince almost anyone.

And it probably would have worked on Dipper. After all, he had always been the stick-to-the-facts kind of guy, rarely reading between the lines, and always searching for concrete answers. Always planning the raids, scheming robberies, always plotting stuff and always the one with all the answers for any kind of mystery, and if he did find some, he'd do anything to know all the secrets, but never really noticing people's hints of feelings or problems unless someone told him.

Then why did he just not believe her?

Dipper couldn't explain how in the world he knew it; he just knew something was wrong. He couldn't even guess what it was. And he hated it. He hated not knowing something. That's why he loved solving mysteries; he hated the fact of not knowing something. Simple as that.

Sometimes he wondered if that was it; that was why he was drawn to her. She was just another mystery waiting to be solved. And that's what he decided to tell himself. Though deep down, he knew the right answer.

He might not know what was wrong in the palace, but there was something he did know. It was better not to push her out of her comfort zone. Apparently, she had been out of it for far too long. So he did what he could.

"Alright, I got it." He said as convincingly as possible, and he noticed it was enough, for she just nodded with assurance.

"We're here." He announced pointing to his old house behind Stan's shop.

Both entered to find Stan, the captain, Soos and Robbie awake and waiting for them. As Dipper closed the door and left the cold wind behind, he mindlessly threw Mabel the cape, to give it back without showing the affection he knew he wasn't supposed to have. She pushed the cloth out of her face and it left her beautiful brown hair a bit messy.

"Dude, we were getting worried!" Soos said.

"Now let's tie this royal brat up so she won't escape anymore!" Robbie demanded, swinging a half-empty bottle of rum around with one hand and holding ropes with the other.

Mabel's eyes widened and she hunched over, not wanting that at all. For a moment she had forgotten they were pirates and that was what they did, though she hadn't expected such a reaction from people that had been somewhat kind to her. Dipper felt her hand squeezing his slightly, however no one else seemed to notice.

"Robbie, I told you we're not gonna tie her up!" The captain scolded.

"But, Sir, she's so annoying! Can't we just tie and gag her until it's over?"

Before the captain could say anything else, Dipper stepped between Robbie and Mabel with an annoyed look and a sarcastic grin.

"I don't know what you're complaining about, Robbie. She's my problem and responsibility. I was the one who had to search for her for hours, not you. So just shut up and quit whining like a little baby girl."

Dipper actually didn't have the habit of messing with Robbie. They kinda hated each other in sort of a healthy way, but Robbie had always been stronger, tougher and more experienced than Dipper, and he had been into piracy since he was 10 while Dipper was only beginning to be trained by Stan. But Dipper could take a pissed off Robbie, he did it on purpose, he wanted to redirect the anger at him instead of Mabel.

He knew Robbie was drunk and had the tendency of becoming a little violent when in that state. Besides, Robbie already had enough issues with both royalty and the navy. Dipper never really knew what happened and he actually never cared to learn the details of someone he despised. But he did know that Robbie had lost his family and Dipper was pretty sure it was somehow related to the naval officers. He simply loathed anything to do with the crown and that was why he joined piracy. Therefore, he already harbored enough hate towards Mabel without ever laying eyes upon her.

"Okay, stop the fuss, I don't want anything being broken around my house." Stan announced angrily. "Now everyone to their beds, we all need some sleep..."

The captain nodded and turned to Mabel with a sad expression.

"We're not gonna tie you up, Dear, but we can't risk the chance of you running away again, so we'll have to lock you in a room for the night..."

"Please don't do this, I won't escape anymore, I promise." She pleaded and the captain ran a hand through his hair wondering, what to do.

"It's okay, Dad. I don't think she'll leave again. At least not so soon..."

"If she does I'm gonna blame you, do you get that?"

"Aye, Captain." He answered, nodding and practically pulling Mabel to the room where she would stay the night. "You'll sleep here. Close the door, and don't you dare leave or the captain will have my head, okay?"

"He wouldn't do that, he's you father."

"You know what I mean." He exclaimed in exhausted exasperation as she laughed, closing the door and wishing him goodnight.

He sighed, relieved, and went to the kitchen to eat the rest of the still warm stew before using the last depleted energy to collapse on his improvised bed.

* * *

 **So, I guess it was a pretty cute and romantic chap, don't you think? What do you think could happen next? I'd love to know!**

 **Please tell me what you guys think of the story in a review, so many of you access, favorite and follow but only a few review and I'm sad with it...**

 **Anyway, I hope you're liking the story so far! :D**

 **Itban Fuyu**


	9. 8 - Late Night Talk

**First, Thank you, Ladipretender, for editing this chap! You're amazing! :D**

 ** **Thanks for your reviews, guys!**** ** **And don't forget to check my DA account, the link is in my profile, I'll be updating some pics for this fic there.****

Just answering a Guest review in the last chap: Thanks so much for reviewing! I Really appreciated your compliments and suggestions! I'll try not to put so many unnecessary details in the future. And the ship description was really just this time, I'm not gonna detail like that anymore, I just wanted to show the dimension of the ship so it'd be easier to imagine it, though I never described a ship before, so I admit it was a bit difficult. And about the Pinecest, well, I know it's a delicate thing, and I also didn't like it at first too, but then, I realized that they're only fictional characters. In real life? Yeah, that's actually still pretty weird for me. But in fiction? It doesn't really matter, because they're not real. But I can see Dip and Mab as normal siblings too in the series, they're good characters together, romantically speaking or not. So don't take it so seriously and I hope you'll keep enjoying the fic! :D

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

 **Late Night Talk**

Dipper laid on his improvised bed, on the other side of the room, was his father. Once again he was stuck with him in the same room for lack of space. Mabel was sleeping in his old room while Stan was in his own, Dipper and his father got the extra one. Soos was in the living room and Dipper was pretty sure Robbie was staying there too. His dad informed him a while later that Wendy headed back to her home, she left minutes after he went to search for Mabel.

He was staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours now, thinking about his promise. He definitely didn't regret it; in fact he was more sure than ever he did the right thing. But something kept bothering him and even though he was exhausted, he couldn't bring himself to drift off to sleep.

"Dad, are you awake?"

"I am now... What is it, Kid?" His voice came out raspy and lazy.

Dipper gulped. "About that thing of Mabel wanting to stay..."

"What? Did she change her mind? Is that why she tried to escape?"

"No, she definitely doesn't want to go back. And I don't think we should force her to go."

There was a quiet moment, but even though it as dark and silent, Dipper knew his father just smiled and humphed like he always did when he was about to say something obvious.

"Kid, she has no idea what is to be a pirate. Once she really sees it, she'll give up. You'll see."

"Okay, let me rephrase, she definitely doesn't want to go back and I'm not gonna let anyone force her to go."

"Are you falling for her, Son?" The Captain asked in a mocking tone, it was dark, but Dipper just knew he was grinning as he sat up to look at the shape of his son. Dipper remained as calm as possible and instead of jumping to sit up with bright red cheeks, he managed to choke out a disbelieved laugh.

"Come on, Dad, I barely know the girl." Little did Dipper recognize, but he was in denial. "It's just that I know something was wrong in the palace. She doesn't want to go back and I think there's a reason for that… Something happened there."

"And what would that be?"

"I don't know. She never told me. But I'm going to find out."

"Okay, Son. Just don't get too attached. She might want to go back any minute."

"Why do you say that? What if she really wants to stay and live a pirate's life with us? Couldn't we just keep raiding official navy ships and seeking hidden treasures? Wouldn't that be enough?"

"The crew wants the money, Kid. And I say that because I know royalty never really want to leave their pampered lives."

"Why?"

"You know I've traveled a lot during those 14 years of piracy, and I once met a very young and naive man who loved a noble woman, and it turned out that when they got the chance to run away together, she hesitated and she ended up marrying another, equally wealthy man. And he never saw her again. She didn't really want to leave the easy life of the court."

"Oh... And do I know him?"

"No. Now get some sleep. Stan is going to make you work early tomorrow." His father said in a sleepy voice.

"Tell me something I don't know... Well, good night then, Dad." He said turning to get comfortable and go to sleep, his father did the same, dozing off quite quickly. Now, instead of the ceiling, Dipper started staring at the wall, and in his reverie of thoughts, he wondered if he would be able to sleep before he solved the mystery of Mabel.

Dipper sighed, tired and sleepy, hearing his father's soft rhythmic breathing, probably already sleeping. Pulling the covers over himself a bit more as shelter from the cold night, eventually, Dipper started to drift off to sleep. That was when he heard a noise. He groaned, frustrated and sat up, looking at the door for some time before he decided to stand and see what was it since it was too soon for Grunkle Stan to be up and coming to wake him for work.

At first, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. No one was in the corridors; Soos and Robbie were snoring in the living room, loud breathing was coming from Stan's room and he wouldn't dare open that door. And then he went to check on Mabel. He pressed his ear to the door to try and hear something, but there was no sound. He didn't want to wake her up, so he didn't knock, but just in case, he tried to open the door. He expected it to be locked, but it wasn't. As soon as the door opened, he saw that the room was empty. Mabel wasn't there.

"Bloody hell, she didn't do this! Not again!" He cursed himself, marching back to his room so he could grab his boots, sword and a coat to go after her. In the middle of the way, he saw dim candlelight coming downstairs. He hurried there and then he saw the beautiful girl sitting at the kitchen table.

"Geez, Mabel, you nearly scared me half to death!"

She jumped in surprise hearing his voice break the calm silence of the night. The mug filled with tea she was holding, warmed her hands. She was using the white nightgown his father gave her.

"Hm… Could I know why?"

"I heard a noise and woke up, when I came to check on you, you weren't in your room. I thought you had run away again." He took two steps into the kitchen; she was sitting at the table in the middle of it.

Mabel gestured the seat next to her, but he was deciding if he should get so close, he already crossed the line earlier when he kissed her. Just remembering it made his cheeks get warm and red. He was glad that there was only the light of a few candles on the table to illuminate the kitchen.

"Why would I? You promised me you wouldn't take me back, remember? I trust you."

"Then, why are you awake?"

"I couldn't sleep. Turns out this place is much colder than I expected."

"Why didn't you say so? I could get another blanket for you, if that's all."

"No, it's okay, the tea is warming me up. Are you sure you don't want to sit for a moment?"

"No I… Wait a minute." He said as he turned around and walked pretty swiftly out of the kitchen. She looked, puzzled, at the entrance for some time until he reappeared with a blanket in his hands and he practically threw it over her shoulders. "There. So you can't complain about feeling cold anymore."

"Thanks."

"Now let's go to bed." He said and then something snapped in his mid that made him very red and antsy, he quickly raised his hands in a surrender gesture. "I mean, not together. I meant you in your room and me in mine."

Mabel laughed. "I figured."

"I mean… Let's just go, okay? Gruncle Stan will wake us up pretty early to work in the shop, staying here has its price."

"It's okay. You can go. I'll be up as soon as I finish my tea."

"You don't understand. There are men under this roof, you know? I don't like the idea of leaving a girl as beautiful as you alone in this house."

"You think I'm beautiful?" She asked with a very pretty smile and he made a mental note to stop getting red around her because he was starting to look pathetic when all he wanted was to look at least a little bit manly for her. Or at least less ridiculous.

"Was that the only part you paid attention to?" His shoulders fell.

"No. But it was the part I liked most." She said as she drank a sip of her tea so she could hide the satisfied smile on her lips. "But it's okay. I mean, there is only you, your Gruncle Stan and your father, right?"

"Robbie is here too. He drank a lot more rum than he should have and, if he wakes up, he's considerably less of a gentleman than I am. And that's why, out of all of the crew, I have to take care of you."

"Oh, yes… I remember you saying he usually stays here… And Soos as well? I forgot to ask before; doesn't he have a home to go to?

"Not anymore… His grandma was the last family member he had that lived around here, but she passed away long ago. Since then, Stan kinda took him in. I guess Soos always looked at him as some sort of father figure. His father left him when he was a kid. He met Stan when he was young and Stan needed help in the shop." Dipper summarized Soos's life quite quickly, he might explain it better for her, but when he was not so groggy and exhausted.

"Really? That is so sad. But I'm glad that he's happy here."

"Yeah, but we'll be up very early, so just drink it already…"

"I'll be in bed soon, then. I don't want to disturb you."

He sighed heavily and found the strength to go sit by her side, resting his chin on his left hand. "No need to hurry, just drink it up."

"Okay." She said taking another sip and the room became deadly silent for a moment or two while Dipper looked from side to side as if he was desperately searching for something to say. He didn't really like silence and he didn't really like the uncomfortable stillness with her.

"So… Is tea a princess-y-thing?"

"I don't know. I suppose it's different for everyone. I don't drink it because I'm a princess."

"Then why do you? You like the taste of it?"

"Not really."

"I don't even know what to say." He uttered, confused.

"My aunt said it was something my mom did when she couldn't sleep. I guess I do it so I can feel closer to her somehow. You know we don't have a queen, currently. My mom died when I was born." She shrugged "And I guess my dad kinda blames me for that."

"It's definitely not your fault. Those things happen once in a while. It's a tragedy that no one can prevent from happening."

"I know. That's what my aunt tells me. And I know it's true. I'm a big girl and I'm not mad at him because of that anymore. I think he loved her too much, and it was just too painful to lose her. My aunt also always told me I look exactly like her so it also must be painful for him, so I'm not mad."

"You're so nice. I think I'd be mad at someone like that. I'm not that agreeable."

"There's no reason to just hold a grudge because of it. Besides, I was happy there, too. I have two ladies that…" She trailed of as she noticed his blank expression. "You know, people that accompany the princess and help me get dressed and all that stuff, they're not poor but they usually don't have a high position at the court."

"Oh, okay. What about them?"

"They're like the best friends ever. One is named Candy and the other is named Grenda. Like me, they're not afraid to break a few rules, etiquettes and protocols so we usually like to make a mess at all the balls my dad hosts. And they always try to cheer me up when I'm dragged back to the palace after attempting to run away."

"They seem to be funny."

"They are a lot! We do all the girly stuff, they help me get dressed, brush my hair and that kind of stuff. But what we like to do the most during parties is guess what people are saying from afar and the second is to flirt with all the cute boys at the hall."

"Oh… And you do it a lot?" Dipper didn't know why he was suddenly so insecure.

"Sometimes, it's fun to just joke about it. But it's usually nothing more than that. And we also like to guess which cute boys are going to talk to us." Mabel laughed as if she was remembering funny situations that had happened. "But we're talking too much about me. What about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me something about you, Silly."

"There's not much to tell." He shrugged. "I don't even know where to start."

"Didn't anyone teach you the start is at the beginning? But of course the beginning doesn't mandatorily mean the _beginning_. It could just be some important point for you."

"You do realize you're not making any sense, don't you?"

"Oh, Dipperon, puh-leeze. I make all the sense in the world. Maybe you're off the tune here, but I'll help you. Let me see… What about your mother? I haven't seen her in the ship or in Grunkle Stan's place."

"She passed away."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I was just a baby, so I never got to meet her, but my dad told me he loved her very much; he'd do anything for her. He told me she was killed because of a horrible, ruthless man."

"But what happened?"

Dipper slowly shrugged, "I don't know. He never gave me details. I've always wanted to know but I noticed that deep down he didn't want to talk about it, and soon after that he became a pirate, it makes me wonder if it was a pirate who killed her. It was very difficult for him. He had to raise me on his own. It was quite hard, you know?"

"Well, I think he did a good job, in the end."

"A great part of the credit goes to Grunkle Stan, actually. Believe it or not, he might look harsh on the outside, but in fact, he's a big softie beneath all those layers of roughness."

"He seems like an interesting man."

"He is. And he used to be a pirate. I guess it runs in the family."

"I guess it does. But how did he just stop being a pirate?"

"That's kind of a long and boring story…" She rested her chin on both hands and looked at him anxiously as an invitation for him to continue. He sighed and shrugged. "But I'll tell you the short version, if you insist… As I said, my mom was killed when I was a baby and my dad had to raise me. Back then; he lived in a city quite near the capitol, where we kidnapped you. He didn't have any relatives anymore to help him except for his father Stanford who lived here. Unfortunately, He was already very sick and couldn't make it."

"But… I thought Stanford was your Grunkle Stan?"

"Nops. He's his twin brother. When Grunkle Stan ported back then and discovered his brother had died, he was really sad, he actually thought about retiring, but he didn't really want to leave his crew and ship for anyone. So he ended up finding my father who needed money and he was mad with the crown, he wanted to go against it. So Grunkle Stan decided to train my dad to be a pirate while he took his recently deceased brother's place at the shop. My dad obviously visited a lot and he was sad to leave me, but he always told me this was the kind of life he wanted to live and I respected that."

"And I bet you wanted to follow his footsteps, didn't you?"

"Of course. Who wouldn't? Since I was six, my Grunkle started teaching me how to swordfight. I couldn't be more exited. And then, when I turned 12, my dad finally decided to take me on a few raids and stuff. Though he only took me as a member of the crew for real after I turned 14."

"So you've been a proper pirate for what, two years? You're not much older than me."

"Something like that." He shrugged. "Have you finished your tea now?"

"I'm just about to." She said taking one last sip and putting the cup down on the table. "Okay, I'm ready."

"You know my Grunkle will have a stroke if he finds that mug in here, right? He might not exactly be tidy or anything, but one thing he hates is the trouble of cleaning up after people.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry. It's just that I'm used to the servants cleaning stuff for me…"

"I bet you are…" Dipper mumbled more to himself; here were the traces of the spoiled little brat he thought he'd find when he met her.

However, before she had time to stand up and try to figure out how to clean her mug, he caught a glimpse of something he didn't notice before. Something around her neck was glowing in the dim light of the candles. And he couldn't help but reach for it curiously. Turned out it was her necklace. He looked at it carefully and didn't even notice the girl blush when his hand brushed too close to her chest.

There was another moment of silence, but this time, Dipper didn't find it uncomfortable. In fact, he was feeling quite at ease with her presence, even if they weren't talking or anything. For a moment, it was like he'd known her their whole lives. He wondered if it was because learning about something they had in common, like the lack of mother, made him feel closer to her.

Looking at the rectangular pendant, he noticed it had an opening mechanism. It was a similar to the ones on pocket watches, but smaller. He had never seen one so close before, so he tried to open it without even asking. Dipper only stopped when her hand gently covered his.

"It won't open."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to peak…"

"It's not like that. It's broken, it doesn't open anymore."

"Isn't that the necklace you insisted on going back for the night I kidnapped you?"

"Yes, it is."

"Why go back and risk my neck and your freedom for a broken necklace?" He asked releasing the pendant back in place, right in front of her heart.

"Because it is the only thing I've got left from my mom. My aunt said she got it from someone special and it was one of her most treasured possessions. And so now it's mine."

"Oh… That makes sense…" He mumbled in agreement. "But don't you take it off, even to sleep? Aren't you scared of it hanging you in your sleep or something?"

"Not really. And I just don't like to take it off. That's all." She explained. "Well, let me just wash the mug so you can escort me back to my room."

Dipper watched Mabel stand up wrapped up in the blanket he clumsily gave her and she quickly washed the dish with the cold water from the bucket. The mug probably wasn't clean enough, but he was just too tired to care about details. When she finished, she walked to him, stopping right beside his chair and pushing her own chair back to its rightful place under the table.

He stood up after hearing her soft voice whispering something like, "Shall we?" and put his own chair in its spot beneath the table. Waving a hand, he gestured for her to go first and he followed right behind. They went up the stairs and she gave him a good night kiss on the cheek before she shut the door and disappeared into his former room.

Dipper slowly blinked, flabbergasted, reaching for his kissed cheek for a few seconds before he groaned to himself, looking up at the ceiling "Oh, come _on_ , really?" He whispered to himself covering his mouth immediately. With a relieved sigh, he noticed no one was around to hear his low complaint.

* * *

 **I hope you all liked the chap! Please tell me here in the box below! I really appreciate your reviews! :D**

 **BTW, I was wondering if anyone noticed from where I took Roderick's name. Anyone? No, it's not Dip and Mab's dad's name in the series, but this name does appear in an episode.**

 **And after reviewing, you can check my profile for other stories or the link to my DA for drawings like the cover. :D**

 **Thank you all!**

 **Itban Fuyu**


	10. 9 - Denied Feelings

**First, Thank you, Ladipretender, for editing this chap! You're amazing! :D**

 **Thanks so much for your favorites, follows and reviews! :D**

 **I know it took a while, here is chap 9! I hope you'll all enjoy and please don't forget to leave me a review!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

 **Denied Feelings**

"Good morning!" Mabel's cheerful voice reached his ears, but Dipper was still rubbing his tired eyes. How could she be so energetic in the morning if she got zero sleep just like him?

After he escorted her to her room, he was so tired that he crashed into his improvised bed and dozed off almost instantly. He opened his slightly red eyes to look at her. She was beautiful as always, but irritatingly far too excited.

"Just how can you be so awake after last night?" He questioned her while sitting at the table, still trying to gather strength enough to make something to eat.

"Oh, you know, it's the first time I woke up that I'm neither in the palace nor in a ship, this place is beautiful, the birds are singing. It's a beautiful day!"

"I guess so…"

"By the way, I was wondering, you have so many books, I never thought it was something usual for commoners to have that many!"

"They usually don't, but my father is a pirate, remember? Every time he came to visit me after finding out I liked to read so much he brought one for me. And he visited a lot, he was always missing me. I missed him too and the books are important to me because of that. So don't go wrecking them or anything like that…"

"Okey-dokey, Mr. Pirate!" She chanted loudly.

"Somebody makes her stop…" Robbie moaned from the kitchen door, holding his head with both hands while staggering in search for food.

"You wouldn't have a hangover if you hadn't drunk so much." Dipper mocked just to receive a slap on the back of his head. "Ouch! If you do that again I'll yell in your ears."

"And I'll kill you if you do that." Robbie groaned, grabbing an orange and sitting on the other side of the table, away from Dipper.

"Robbie, would you like some coffee? Stan made it just a while ago. He's opening the shop now, but he left some. Dipper, would you like some as well?"

"I'm gonna need a lot of it to get through this day…" The younger pirate mumbled, more to himself, rubbing his eyes again feeling like the sleep just wouldn't leave him.

Mabel happily poured some coffee in a mug and gave it to him, then poured more in another one to give Robbie. However, on the way she tripped and, although she didn't fall, the girl accidentally spilled the entire contents of the mug on Robbie's pants. Dipper tried hard not to laugh.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Mabel said as Robbie jumped up with a very red angry face.

"You… You…" He started but was soon interrupted by Dipper, who knew nothing good could come out of his mouth.

"Don't swear or you know the captain will have your head."

Robbie grunted loudly and walked away with his pants hot from the coffee. Mabel sighed and grabbed a cloth to clean up the mess left on the chair and floor, when she stood up, she looked guiltily at Dipper.

"Do you think he's gonna hate me even more for that? I didn't mean it…"

"Nah. That's okay. He's a jerk anyway."

"But I didn't want him to get mad at me…"

"He'll get over it. Anyway, thanks for the coffee."

"I made some eggs too. I wanted them to be fried and cute sunny side up, but they just turned out scrambled and ugly looking…" She complained showing him a plate with it. Dipper gulped.

"They look… great…"

"Don't lie to my face, Mr.!" She chanted pointing a finger at him, though she had a joking tone underneath her fake fury.

"Okay, so it doesn't look wonderful, it doesn't mean it'll taste that bad."

"I'm not gonna make you eat it, you'll end up sick from it." She sighed sitting down next to him pulling the purple shawl over her head to hide her face.

"Are you okay, Mabel?"

"Mabel is not here…" The princess mumbled behind the fabric. He choked a laugh and put the mug of coffee down.

"Really? And where is she?"

"She's in… Shawltown…" Her voice was sad, but he just couldn't help but smile. It was not like he was laughing at her; it was just that she was being funny, even though she didn't mean it.

"And why is she in there?" He played along, trying not to laugh.

"Because she's a failure?" It was neither a statement nor a question at the same time.

"And why does she think that?" Dipper asked pulling the shawl behind her to see her face, messing up her hair a lot on the process.

"Because she can't do anything right? I can't cook, I can't fight, I can't even serve coffee without ruining everything…"

"That's not true. I know something you can do better than anyone else I know and I met you like five days ago."

"Oh, yeah? And what would that be?"

"You make people laugh, Mabel. You bring happiness wherever you go."

"Robbie didn't seem very happy when he left the kitchen."

"Yeah, but, as I said, he's a jerk. So don't mind him." His voice had a matter-of-fact tone as he tried to tidy her hair that he helped mess up. "Besides, there must be something you like to do. Something you're good at."

"I can't even flirt properly, you know… The truth is that the cute noble guys always ran away from me like I had some sort of plague… Maybe I was just too intense for them…"

"That's too bad for them. But really, there must be something you're good at. Something you like to do and that people like to see the result."

"Well… I like to sew…" Mabel mumbled taking the shawl off of her head and then removing the dark blue cloth she was using as a bow so she could brush her hair with her fingers. She was now sitting straight instead of just leaning over the table. "When I was little, I used to see my nannies sew my clothes. I often ruined them and they used to sew things back together for me. I was such a brat… Anyway, I got interested and they ended up teaching me I asked so often. The cooks didn't yield, though. I thought it would be easy to make a sunny side up egg because I usually saw them doing it, but they never taught me. They said I'm a princess and therefor I shouldn't learn how to do that stuff…"

"Princess or no princess, I don't see a problem in learning how to cook if you want to. Maybe you can ask Melody for help later. She can teach you something for sure. But I was right, you do know something you're good at. Maybe you can sew something."

"I could make you a shirt if you want. To thank you for all the trouble I've been giving you…"

"I'd like that. But we gotta go now. Grunkle Stan is not gonna be happy if we are late for work…"

He quickly stood up pulling her by the hand and grabbed an apple on the way out just so he wouldn't go without anything in his stomach. They got to the shop just in time; Stan was about to put them to work after he finished opening the store.

"Where is Robbie? He's supposed to work his lazy butt too."

"He'll be here shortly, Grunkle Stan. He had an accident with his coffee mug…" Dipper bit his lower lip to prevent a mocking smile to form on his lips.

"Okay. Anyway, I want you to work well. Roderick and I have stuff to do so I'm leaving it all with the three of you. And maybe Wendy if she decides to show up later…"

"Sure. It's okay, Grunkle Stan. I got it covered. I've already done it like a million times before anyway."

"Good. Now, Mabel, you try to show up by the window, okay? Pretty girls draw costumer's attention."

"Grunkle Stan! She's not merchandise!" Dipper scolded.

"Don't be stupid, Kid. I don't want to sell her; I want her to sell stuff for me. There's a difference. I'll be back by nightfall." The old man informed them at the same time Roderick appeared by the door that connected the shop to the house.

"And so will I. Now behave yourselves. Son, take care of our guest." Dipper nodded as his father ruffled the boy's hair like he used to do when they parted back when he was a kid. Then Roderick turned to Mabel and placed a hand on her shoulder. "And you, Miss, don't try to run away again, okay? It's dangerous."

"Sure. I'm certain Dippeton won't let me out of his sight from now on, anyway…"

"Good. We'll be back for dinner. Take care." The captain said before exiting the shop with Stan right behind.

Mabel then started to look around the store. Grunkle Stan sold a lot of stuff. Almost everything, there were fabrics, tapestries, buttons, needles, threads of all colors, goodies, dishes, books, journals, feather pens, shoes, matches, lamps, candles, and even some jewelry. Mabel suspected some of the items were left from the pirate's raids. But a person could name anything (except for food) and Stan probably had it there.

However, it was slightly messy and everything seemed to be out of order. It was quite a disturbing sight.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Wendy greeted from the shop's entrance.

"Hey, Wendy." Both teens said at the same time, waving a "hi" at her. Not long after that, Robbie showed up coming from the back.

"Hey, Babe. You're a sight for sore eyes!" He marched towards her and just pulled her into a kiss. And then a very deep kiss. Wendy pulled away.

"Okay, Robbie. Not the time or place." She told him fiercely. "Anyway, this place is messier than I remember…"

"I know, right? I was thinking the same thing. Then I had an idea. Since we're in charge of the shop… We should do a STORE MAKEOVER!" Mabel finished raising her voice and hands in the air, extremely excited.

"What? No way, It will ruin my plans to sit on that chair and do nothing all day!"

"And where's the fun in 'do nothing all day', Robbie? Live a little. We're gonna have some fun!"

He was about to complain again, but was cut off by his girlfriend. "Yeah, Rob. Don't be a spoilsport." And then he sighed, defeated.

"Alright… I'll do it… Geez…"

He unwillingly complied. And so they started taking everything out from its place and putting things on the counter and on the floor in a corner t o make enough spaces to clean all the shelves and stands before putting the merchandise back in the correct place in a more organized way.

They cleaned the entire store, all the shelves, all the stands, the counter and behind it, the floor and then they started cleaning up the dusty merchandise. Once they were spotless, Mabel started sorting them in place to position them, in order, gathering everything that was the same together.

No more thick candles in one place and the thin ones on the other side of the store. Now they were all arranged in the same stand, but on a different shelf. The thin ones were right below the shelf that contained the thick ones. The lamps would stay on the upper one, so Mabel got Grunkle Stan's old chair, the only one at the shop. The one with a leg smaller than the rest, leaving it floppy and unstable. And of course she stepped on it to reach the top shelf.

"Robbie, since you're the tallest one, could you please pass me those lamps over there?" Her voice was so soft and gentle that he couldn't say no in front of his girlfriend, even though he just wanted to slap her for having this stupid makeover idea. He wouldn't do that, though, he knew his captain commanded him not to hurt her and so he would heed that. He respected Roderick too much to consciously disobey him.

Groaning, Robbie reached two lamps, one in each hand while Wendy and Dipper were cleaning the others. Robbie mindlessly gave one to her and she started putting it on the top shelf, trying to place it right at the far back of it.

Mabel started pulling further; noticing she had to get even closer, so she took a few steps nearer the edge of the chair, feeling it shaking underneath her. She ignored it though and kept moving, getting on her tiptoes, she was almost there. And then the chair became even more unsteady and Mabel was just too close to the edge, she lost her balance and fell right onto Robbie with a big thud, sending herself, the poor young man, and the lamp in his hand to the floor.

"Mabel!" Dipper and Wendy shouted in unison, leaving what they were doing on the counter and running to her aid.

"Mabel?!" Robbie exclaimed in exasperated disbelief. "She fell _on_ me! For crying out loud!"

"Oh, Rob, stop whining. You're a pirate, you should be used to worse stuff than that. And she fell from the chair, it's pretty high!" Wendy told him furrowing her red eyebrows while crossing her arms in anger. Near her, Dipper was helping Mabel stand up, noticing her hand had a small cut from the broken glass of the lamp.

"Hey, Mabel, you okay?" Dipper asked her.

"I'm fine."

"Of course she is! She fell _on_ me!" Robbie yelled jumping up; his face red from rage. "Geez you stupid careless girl! I should just-" In his rampage, he raised a hand to her and he only stopped because he felt something sharp against his neck. It was Dipper's dagger cutting slightly into his flesh.

"You heard the captain. You're _not_ hurting her!" The younger pirate ordered in a very authoritative tone. Robbie jumped backwards, grunting, irritated and just walked away, saying he already worked enough for the day.

"Don't mind him, Mabel. He's just…"

"A jerk. A total complete jerk." Dipper finished Wendy's phrase putting his dagger back in its hidden place in his pants, behind his back.

He wasn't wearing his usual pirate-attire, since he wanted to look a little less threatening to sell his Grunkle's merchandise, so he was sporting a light blue shirt, black pants and a dark brown peasant-looking vest. His sword was hidden behind the counter, always within reach, but out of sight. However, he was still a good pirate and they never stayed without a blade or a gun at all the times. So he hid one on his back. It turned out to be very useful.

"Come, Mabs. Let's wash that hand before it get infected or something."

"But I'm fine."

"I'm not asking." Dipper told her, already pushing her gently to the door connecting the house and then he said over his shoulder. "Wendy, take care of the shop for a minute, please."

"Sure."

She answered but he was already on the other side of the wall with Mabel. Wendy sighed and cleaned up the broken lamp before going back to clean the rest of the merchandise. It didn't take long for Mabel and Dipper to come back, her with a small bandage wrapped around her hand. Her face was sad and with a crushing guilt.

"I'm sorry I messed up again and made you argue with your boyfriend…"

"It's okay, Gal. He loses his nerves for nothing, really."

Mabel still felt horrible. However she let go of it eventually as Wendy called her to help clean it all up.

They finished cleaning and organizing everything up at the end of the evening, right before it was time to close the shop. It was a very tiring and busy day. Wendy volunteered to wash some of the clothes before Melody's dinner was ready. Mabel washed her hands and took of the bandage Dipper made, the cut was already better; it only kept stinging a little so she left it like that.

Meanwhile, Dipper also went to wash his hands and then help Melody set the table. He looked at his pocket watch, it was already almost 7 p.m. and he imagined Roderick and Stan should be back by now. Dipper imagined Roderick wouldn't be back for the night after all that and he actually really didn't care. He was so hungry he probably would just eat without waiting for them. When the smell testified that it was almost done, he started searching for Mabel.

And then he found her. Mabel was sitting on his Grunkle's favorite armchair, leaned on what seemed to be an uncomfortable position. She probably just sat to rest for a moment and fell asleep. He knew she had woken up very early and that she had worked a lot in the shop, helping and doing whatever she could.

Mabel probably wasn't used to doing so much stuff in one day, being a princess, she was supposed to be pampered and wait for people to do stuff for her, and so it was obvious that she'd be tired. He bet she only sat for a moment to rest and didn't expect to fall asleep like that. The young pirate kneeled to watch her closely.

Dipper couldn't help but to brush some strands of wavy chestnut hair out of her face as gently as he could so he wouldn't wake her. As he kept contemplating her, he wondered why on earth she had to be so beautiful, it was almost like something about her drew him in and he just couldn't resist. Sometimes he also wondered if she was so beautiful only in his eyes, if anyone saw her as beautiful as he did.

He gulped when he noticed he was staring at her half opened lips, and he blushed as he realized he wanted to lean in and touch them with his own. Dipper cursed himself for kissing her the previous night, he shouldn't have. Now all he could think about was how much he wanted to taste her sweet lips again. She had something addicting on them.

Dipper didn't notice he was so close to her face until he heard a coughing noise, the kind of sound that is meant to call attention. He backed away as if he had just been shocked and almost fell backwards. His brown eyes immediately searched for the source of the noise and he found Wendy laughing at the entrance of the living room.

"Wendy!" He scolded, standing on his feet; his voice was harsh, but low at the same time so he wouldn't wake Mabel up. His face was redder than it had ever been before.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist!" She said containing her laughs by covering her mouth.

"Shut up…"

"It's just that you're so cute. I guess you really love her."

"Love her? I barely know her, Wendy…"

"That's not true. Besides, that doesn't stop someone from loving, you know? Have you ever heard of love at first sight?"

"Those are just stories for children and delusional girls…"

"Well, it doesn't matter. The truth is the truth. And the fact is that I know you and I've never seen you like this. Not even when you had that crush on me when you were 12…" she said in a mocking teasing tone that only made him get even redder, if it was possible.

"But you're wrong. I don't love her. I can't love her; she's a princess, for crying out loud. And I'm a pirate. She deserves better than that…"

Wendy suddenly stopped laughing as she frowned angrily at him. She kept her voice low, but it came raspy and deadly serious.

"Now you hear me, young boy, I will not tolerate you speaking like that again, okay? Just because you're a pirate doesn't mean you're not worthy of someone's heart, even if that person's heart belongs to a princess. And if she doesn't like you back then I'm sorry for her, she's the one who's missing. You're a good boy and any girl that doesn't see it is a fool. I told you when you were 12 that any girl you'll want to give your heart to will be lucky and it's still true."

"Thanks, I guess…" He was a little taken aback by her sudden roughness.

"Just don't do this to yourself, okay? Don't deny your feelings, it's not healthy. People only realize the treasures they have when they lose them. Don't be like one of them, you're smarter than that."

Dipper looked back at Mabel with a very conflicted heart, he didn't know what to think or what he was feeling, but he knew that Wendy's words had some impact on him.

"Just go open the door to her room, I'll take her to her bed."

"Already?" She mumbled ironically, her voice full of second intentions. Once again Dipper felt his cheeks warm up.

"You know what I mean! Just shut up and do this. You might need to help her change there."

"Okay, but are you sure you can do this? No offense, but you're not exactly… strong…"

"I can do at least that, don't worry, I guarantee you that my noodle arms will not crumble." He mumbled annoyed as she went to open the door and he leaned to grab the sleeping form of the princess in his arms. And then he took her to her room. Wendy contained her laugh, remembering their childhood comparison to his once very thin arms to noodles.

* * *

Mabel felt herself waking from her slumber when she heard the creak of the door opening; she was still sleepy and not fully conscious as she saw the shape of someone entering her room. She rubbed her eyes to try to see better, but it was so dark and the only source of light was dim and came behind the intruder, so she couldn't see who it was. She guessed maybe it was someone checking that she was still there and hadn't tried to run away again.

First she thought it was Dipper, he was always caring for her and always wanted her to be fine. So she was surprised when she saw the man holding a sharp object that looked like a knife or a dagger. The man got closer before she was conscious enough to ask anything and then she saw the man was Robbie.

He tottered until he was by the bed's side. Surprised and scared, Mabel felt herself backing away a little suspicious, yet still sleepy.

"Robbie, what's wrong? What are you doing here?"

Adrenaline from fear made her very awake and aware the moment he crumpled to the bed next her and felt her neck being held in his left hand, he wasn't applying too much pressure, in fact, she realized he probably didn't have much strength anyway.

"Tha crown took everything fromme… Now I'll take ya from it…" His voice was slurred and he was hiccupping between words, she knew he was more than absolutely drunk. Maybe he didn't even really know what he was doing.

"Robbie, stop it, you're scaring me."

"I'll gonna kill ya…" He mumbled shaking his right hand, the one that was holding the blade.

Mabel was frightened and from the first time she saw him, she decided he was nothing but a big jerk. She never understood why Wendy liked him or why she'd put herself in their unstable relationship. But the moment she looked up to see him, she began to understand.

He was suffering; his eyes were angry but there was hurt in them as well. And maybe, just maybe, his relationship with Wendy was unstable because he didn't really know how to show his love, because he was still very hurt from something that happened in his past. And then she felt pity for him.

"Robbie, stop, you're not yourself right now." She said, raising her hand to touch his face in an attempt to calm him down, though she failed miserably.

"Dontpityme!" He yelled angrily all at once and she had to think about the words for a moment to comprehend the meaning of his phrase.

And then his hands squeezed her neck tightly. She choked beneath the grasp and she knew he was too drunk to stop by himself, that's when she kicked him out of the bed with all she had. He was pushed right to the ground with a loud thud.

Mabel quickly stood up and saw Robbie, slowly staggering, rising again from the other side of the bed and she moved away until her back touched a shelf filled with books Dipper read in his childhood. He once told her that every time his father came to visit he'd bring one to him since the young boy liked them so much.

So when she saw herself trapped and cornered between the books and a very drunk and mad Robbie, she had no choice but to get the books and throw them at him until she could find a gap to run out of the room.

* * *

The captain winced and stirred in his bed, waking from his slumber as a noise reached his ears. He chose to ignore it until he heard more noises. He sat on his bed, rubbing his tired eyes while trying to guess the source of the fuss.

"Son, wake up. Do you hear that?"

"Hm… Letmesleep…" Dipper mumbled with a very slurred voice, turning to the other side to drift off to sleep.

"I'm serious!" Roderick insisted, throwing a pillow over his son's sleeping form.

"Bloody hell!" Dipper yelped in surprise from the sudden soft attack and then he was fully awake, throwing the pillow back to his father. "What was that for?"

"Do you hear it?"

Dipper stopped and listened. For a moment, there was nothing, and then, a thud. It sounded like it was something falling to the ground. But there was something else, something that almost sounded like a cry or yelp.

"I guess it sounds like…" Dipper wondered, but his father was ahead of him, already grabbing his sword and jumping out of the bed.

"Muffled screams." The Captain completed his son's phrase. Dipper doubted it was something like that, but seeing the hurry of his father his doubts vanished completely as he ran after him, holding his own sword.

Dipper's heart sank when he saw his father by the door of his old room, where Mabel was. He wanted to run and see what was happening, but his body refused to move any faster, everything seemed to be in slow motion. When he finally reached the door of the room, he was already bracing himself for something horrible, yet he was still shocked by what he saw.

Mabel was being pressed against the bookshelf by Robbie, there were a lot of books all over the floor and even the bed, as if they were thrown in a moment of desperation. Robbie was covering her mouth with his left hand and to Dipper's despair, he could see his right hand holding a dagger or a knife stuck in what seemed to be her belly. He could also see her trying to push him away holding his right arm with her left hand.

The world stopped spinning for a second and Dipper lost his ground as a gasp left his mouth without hi even noticing. He wanted to react, he wanted to do something, anything, but his body just wouldn't respond. He saw his father moving closer, rounding the bed mid way; he grabbed Robbie by the collar and threw the young man to the ground with all his strength. He had never seen his father so angry. Robbie had crossed a very dangerous line.

Dipper couldn't stop looking at Mabel, her left hand reached the handle of the blade and his father approached her as if he was ready to hold her before she collapsed. But she never crumpled. Instead, she started to pull the blade out. He could hear his father telling her to wait so he could get a doctor or a healer to get it out for her, but by the time he finished his sentence, she had already removed the blade, and to everyone's surprise, it wasn't stained with blood, it was clean and shine.

"I guess I deceived him…" She said smiling like nothing happened and Dipper couldn't take his eyes off the blade, trying to understand what and how it happened and then, she took something out from beneath the white pajama shirt. It was a hard cover book with a hole in it. "I'm not hurt."

The Captain breathed, heavily relieved, he turned to Robbie who was standing up again, he was furious with the drunken young man. He grabbed him again by the collar and shoved him out the room, asking for Mabel's forgiveness and telling her it would never happen again. On the way out he also ordered his son to clean up the mess while he punished Robbie.

But Dipper was still so shocked he couldn't even nod, in fact, he barely recognized what his father told him. Dipper was so relieved he felt like his legs lost their balance for a moment or two. He had never been so glad of being a huge bookworm than at that moment. He gathered up enough strength to walk around the bed to stop right in front of her, his footsteps were slow and stiff, but he managed to walk the small distance without calling so much attention.

"See? I guess I'm not so helpless and defenseless as you thought I was, right? Sorry, I kinda ruined your book, though…" She said jokingly, but with some concern in her eyes. "I know how much you liked them, but I can get you new ones, I hope… I'm so sorry for ruining it even though you asked me not to do just that…" She stopped talking to jump, startled when he left his sword fall with a very loud thud. She looked down at the sword and then up, she was about to apologize again when he touched her cheeks, gazing at her intensely.

She was taken aback by the deep feelings she saw in his eyes, not expecting him to suddenly hug her tightly, with one hand around her waist and the other one on the back of her head, caressing her hair. Slowly, she embraced him as well. He wasn't much taller than her, but since she was a bit arched down with the embrace, her ear was pressed against his chest, and his heart was beating fast.

"I thought I lost you." He mumbled against her hair, holding her as if he never wanted to let go again. He couldn't help but notice that Wendy was damn right. You never realize the treasures that you have until you lose them. And losing her was a thought he could not bear.

And that was the moment he realized, or better, accepted his feelings for her. Dipper was completely, hopelessly and madly in love with Mabel.

He had to convince his father to let her stay. He had to convince the crew it was better this way. He had to find another way to get a lot of money and fast so the crew would be satisfied. And he had to find enough strength in him not to kill Robbie for scaring him that much.

Then he realized why his father told him not to fall for her. If she one day decided to go back to the palace, he wouldn't be able to stop her. And then it'd hurt him; it would kill him to let her go, to be away from her. He didn't want to be apart from Mabel anymore. Not now, not ever. That was the pain of being in love. For the first time, he understood a little bit of his father's sorrow for his mother's death.

 _Am I hugging her for too long?_ He asked himself, gulping before he decided to let go, feeling lucky it was too dark to notice his red cheeks. _Yeah, I definitely am, if I wasn't, I wouldn't be asking myself that stupid question…_

Dipper sighed and pulled himself together before he separated from their way-too-long embrace to look at her again, this time, without showing all the intensity of his love. He didn't want her to know about his feelings, not only because he was afraid of her wanting to leave, but also because he feared she would not reciprocate his feelings. He couldn't bear that. So it was better to keep it a secret, so he could be spared of the pain and suffering. He couldn't risk it.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you. I promised, you'd be safe, yet I failed."

She laughed and poked his nose with the tip of the index finger, making fart-like noises with her tongue sticking out of her mouth. Her weirdness was something he also loved about her. It was her way to express herself and to lighten the mood in any situation; she was always trying to cheer people up. Even though he found it a bit too crazy sometimes.

"Didn't you see? I can take care of myself, oh gullible one. You've been keeping your promise to what I need. Don't blame yourself. How could you know Robbie would do that, right?"

"You were lucky. He could have killed you."

"I don't really think so, he was too drunk to aim properly. Yet if you're so worried, perhaps you should teach me, then."

"Maybe I will."

"Great. That's exactly what I want. I've always wanted to swordfight."

He laughed brushing her messy hair away from her face. "You're no ordinary girl."

"Duh, of course not. I'm Mabel, remember?"

"It's not like I could forget… Now let me help you tidy the room so you can go back to sleep. Tomorrow is gonna be a busy day."

"Indeed."

"And he really didn't hurt you, right? Not one bit?"

"I'm fine, it didn't cut my flesh, do you want to take a look at it? Don't you trust me?" She asked teasingly.

"I was just making sure…" He said, blushing as he collected the books from the floor and put them back on the shelf. Then something occurred to him. "Wait, why are you using my old pajama? Dad left you a nightgown for you."

"Oh, right. That…" She laughed embarrassed rubbing the back of her neck. "You know, I woke up hungry a bit earlier and went down to get something to eat… But I spilled it on me… I didn't want to wake anyone up so I just grabbed something in the other drawers… I know you asked me not to peek, but I swear I just looked for what I needed and nothing else. I just thought it was better to use this one instead of not using anything… And at least it was a good thing that I could hide the book under the shirt, I couldn't have done it using a nightgown."

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that… Especially considering what happened here…"

"You're not angry at me, are you? I can make you a new pajama since this one is ruined now…"

"It's okay. I didn't even use it anymore, you can take it."

"Thank you. You're so kind to me. And I'm definitely making up for ruining your pajama. I'll make you a very cute, comfy and cozy one! Starting tomorrow!" Her smile was so bright it was like it could light up the room, her happiness and positivity were something he just couldn't understand.

"As you wish." He said with a beautiful heart breaking half smile, but what he actually meant was 'I love you'.

* * *

 ** **I hope you all liked the chap! I really appreciate your reviews! So don't forget to leave me one in your way out! :D****

 ** **And after reviewing, you can check my profile for other stories or the link to my DA for drawings like the cover.****

 ** **Thank you all! :D****

 ** **Itban Fuyu****


	11. 10 - Infatuated

**First, Thank you, Ladipretender, for editing this chap! You're amazing! :D**

 ** **Thanks to all the people who reviewed! Feedback is important!****

 **The cover was made by me, this and other drawings are in my DA page, the link is in my profile, if you're interested, please go check it** **ou** **t.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

 **Infatuated**

"I'm so sorry, princess Mabel…" Robbie told her, kneeling down in front of the girl, who was trying to say it wasn't needed, but the captain had commanded it. He was behind Robbie with his arms crossed, resisting the urge to step on the young man's back to keep him on the floor where he belonged for trying to hurt that kind and sweet princess.

"And…" The Captain said in an expectant tone for him to continue.

"And I promise it will never happen again."

"And…"

"And I'm so very stupid I don't even know how to measure my stupidity…"

"And…" The Captain continued. Mabel was a bit embarrassed by that. Dipper was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed as he watched Robbie with anger boiling in his blood. He wanted to punch the man so hard for scaring him last night; he couldn't sleep at all after believing for a moment Mabel was deadly hurt.

"And I promise I won't get any closer than three meters from you if you don't wish me to."

"And…"

"And I promise I won't touch a drop of alcohol as long as you're around…" He said shamelessly and sad, already knowing that the idea of ending his hangover with more alcohol was blown to pieces.

"And…" the captain's voice remained fierce and full of authority.

"And I'll sleep bound in the ship from now on if you wish me to."

"And…"

"And you shall stab me if you want to. Is that all, sir?"

"Yeah. I guess so." The captain replied, a bit satisfied.

"Hum, look, this is really not necessary, Captain." She said a little embarrassed. "And Robbie, I always used to see you as a creepy jerk, like the human version of rat-poison, but when I saw you last night I realized you're not a bad guy, you're just a heart-broken soul that needs love. I won't hurt you, Robbie. You're already too hurt."

That took Robbie aback. He'd never expect such forgiveness, especially in so little time. Right behind the girl, Dipper's jaw fell as well, for a second, he thought she was joking, but he soon noticed she was serious.

"Are you out of you mind, Girl? I tried to kill you last night…"

"Yeah, but you weren't really you back then. I know if you were sober you wouldn't do that."

"Oh, yeah? Maybe I would." Crossing his arms as if to make a point, but he was still kneeled in front of her, he wouldn't dare stand up before the captain said so.

"No. You wouldn't." Roderick's voice was so imposing it made the young man clean his throat and correct himself.

"You're right, Captain. I wouldn't."

"And I heard something about him almost hitting you. Is that true, Mabel?"

"Look, Roderick, I think he was already punished enough and I'm not hurt, so it doesn't matter." The princess said. "Besides, we gotta go to work now. Am I right, Dipster?"

Dipper looked to the sides, confused and deciding what to do. Finally, he nodded.

"Very well, then. You all just go to work. Stan and I'll be back for dinner. And Robbie, if I hear you did something, anything, to Mabel again… Well, I don't even know what I'm gonna do yet, but you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Understood?"

"Aye, Captain."

Robbie stood up only after the captain left the living room. The three youngsters then went to the store to say farewell to Grunkle Stan and Roderick. Dipper made sure to stay between the rebellious pirate and the princess at all times, as if he was some sort of shield, glaring imaginary daggers at him. Thankfully, Wendy came to lighten up the mood. Or not, because she already heard what happened from Roderick and she was obviously mad at her boyfriend.

Mabel was eccentric, but she wasn't stupid, she soon noticed Robbie was uncomfortable by the glaring stares at him from both of his companions. So she decided to give him some activity to distract him. Since Grunkle Stan had so liked the cleaning and new organization in the shop, she decided to keep that up.

"Hey, Robbie, since you left work earlier yesterday, I think it's fair enough for you to wipe the window today. And I'll be supervising you. Get a bucket and a clean cloth, then meet me outside!"

The young man moaned, but complied. In less than five minutes, he was outside with her looking at the dirty glass right behind his shoulder as she instructed him on what to do.

He was far from being stupid and say anything that might disagree with her. He knew she had him in the palm of her hand if she wanted to. She could have made the captain hit him moments ago if she had confirmed he almost hit her. Yet, she didn't. He was flabbergasted at that.

"Hum… By the way… Why did you do that?" He managed to ask, truly curious.

"Say what?"

"You know… The forgiveness thing. I wouldn't have forgiven me if I were you."

"Oh, Robbie, I told you. I don't resent what you did. It's not like you did it on purpose or something. Though I'd appreciate if you don't do much drinking anymore…" Her tone was a joking one, but she really meant it. "But I should ask for forgiveness too. I'm sorry for falling on you and then being the reason that your girlfriend got upset with you."

"Well, I guess you didn't really fall on purpose either, it was gravity. And I don't really need help to argue with Wendy, anyway…"

"You're right about that!"

"Hey!" He complained but with a joking tone hidden beneath his voice and there was a hint of a smile on his lips. Mabel was glad he was already sort of kidding near her; it meant he was at least a little bit comfortable in her company. "But I guess you're kinda right… I never know what I do wrong. Sometimes she just pulls away. Like when I kissed her yesterday when she arrived."

"Oh, Silly. Girls want guys that like them for who they are, not because the guys like to show her around. The way you kissed her was like 'hey she's my girl' kind of kiss instead of a 'hey there, sweetie' type. She probably just doesn't like when you kiss her like that in front of people."

"And how can you say that?"

"Oh, pu-leeeze, Robbie. I'm a dating expert. And I'm a girl, so I obviously know more about how a girl's brain works than you do."

"Oh, yeah? And if you're such an expert, what else did you see I've been doing wrong?" He asked in disbelief.

"Well, let me see… You contradict one another far too often; try to agree with her a bit more or at least don't make a big deal out of the things you disagree about unless it's absolutely necessary. But if that still happens, don't take it personally. Don't go drinking and then denying it or lie about equally obvious things that aren't true; be truthful as much as you can. Pay attention to what she says, I've seen you pretending to listen to her just to be asking her the same thing some time later. Those are just a few things I've noticed for now.

"Oh, come on, it's not like that. I don't do those things."

"You know you do." She said smiling and kinda ignoring him. Robbie huffed.

"Okay… I yield… I guess you're right…" he mumbled, ashamed.

"Well, anyway, if you ever want help with relationships, you can always ask me. But now, we gotta get inside, you're going to start cleaning the other side of the window."

"Aye…"

Getting the bucket, he stood up and entered the shop again so he could do as she said. When he was almost finished cleaning it, a customer entered. He was a nice looking boy, probably 17 years old, light brown hair and beautiful greenish eyes that were soon set on the pretty girl by the window.

"Wow, hello, Beautiful. Are you new around here? 'Cause I'm sure I'd remember some angel like you." Dipper's eyebrows frowned at that, he was still behind the counter and now all his imaginary daggers found a new target to glare at.

"Thank you. Yeah, I am new, and I'm working here for a while."

"Lucky me!" the boy replied.

"And what brings you to our shop?"

"Well, I'm in need of some… Candles." Dipper felt his hands losing in a tight fist as he realized the boy just made that up. He didn't need anything; he just entered to see the pretty girl closer. Well, at least he was going to buy something, Grunkle Stan would be happy to hear that.

The young pirate kept watching them without saying anything, just following the annoying guy with his eyes. The costumer was so focused on Mabel that he didn't even notice the deathly glares at him. But even if he had noticed, he'd probably just ignore them.

Finally, the guy paid for two thin candles and slowly walked away saying he'd want to be back soon. From behind the counter, Wendy congratulated Mabel for doing so well and the princess just jumped in excitement before she went back to see Robbie almost finished wiping the window.

Dipper humphed, leaning on the counter and resting his chin on his left hand, while the other just tapped its fingers on the wood in an irritated way. Then, he mumbled to himself.

"That guy was so stupid; I thought I'd have to go in the back to get a cloth to clean up his drool from the floor…"

"Do my eyes and ears deceive me or is it real jealousy that I see?" Dipper suddenly turned redder than an apple. He wasn't supposed to be heard.

"Shut up, Wendy!"

"What? No denying this time?"

Dipper opened his mouth to complain, but froze instead. She was right. Damn, she was right again. He wasn't denying it this time. And it kinda scared him. Sure, he accepted that he liked Mabel, really _liked_ Mabel. Come on, he had known her for less than a week. He couldn't really be in love, could it? Logic said there was no way it could happen. And Dipper was a logical guy. So he couldn't just accept it. Yet, sometimes he felt he had known her his whole life even though he met her so recently.

He felt like such a fool. Being jealous over Mabel when he was so sure she didn't like him or that she'd never like him the way he wanted. It was stupid and ridiculous the way he wanted so much to just touch her, to feel her close, to want to brush her pretty long hair with his hands and be the only one to get that close. It was pathetic how he wanted to embrace her just like he did the previous night and then kiss her soft sweet lips like he once did.

If there was any doubt of his feelings for her, they vanished from existence that moment. There was only one reason for him to be feeling so stupidly pathetic like that.

Suddenly he saw Wendy's hands waving in front of his face.

"Hey, Dipper, are you in there? I'm talking to you."

"What did you say?"

"I was asking what happened that made you stop denying."

"Nothing happened I don't know what you're saying, there's nothing to deny here…"

"Come on, Dipper. We know each other for years now. I know you."

"It doesn't matter what happened or what didn't." He hissed looking at Mabel and Robbie talking on the other side of the shop; he lowered his voice even more so they really wouldn't hear him. "It doesn't matter because nothing will happen anyway."

"What are you saying?"

"You know what? I kinda blame you for that. If you hadn't insisted I liked her so much, maybe I'd never even notice."

"Hey, I just opened your eyes, you're the one who started liking her. Don't blame me, blame your heart."

"I blame that stupid thing too. Anyway. Nothing can happen between us, Wendy. She's a princess, remember? She'll want to go back to the life in the palace. And she'll never even know I liked her. It'll be better this way. She'll like her normal royal life and be happy while I find my way." The frustrated boy replied.

"Come on, Dipper, that's ridiculous. You told me she didn't want to go back to the palace. Who knows? Maybe we can find another way to get enough money for the crew and she can stay. Maybe she likes you and that could just be another reason for her to stay."

"It's not that simple! She had a life there, family, friends. Don't you think she'd want to get back to them eventually?"

"Okay, I didn't think about that… But you're overthinking it too much, Dipper."

"Well, you know me. Overthinking is my thing. But it's true nonetheless. Now stop it. There's nothing we can do about it, okay?" _And I should have known better than falling into needless romantic drama…_ He added to himself.

Wendy's heart felt weirdly heavy. There was so much hurt in her childhood friend's eyes and voice. It wasn't like she meant for him to feel miserable, she was just being truthful and honest with the obvious thing she saw in front of her. Besides, she wanted him to be happy, to find someone to like, just like she found. Especially because she knew she was his first crush as a kid.

But her plan kind of backfired, apparently.

"Okay…" There was nothing else she could say.

* * *

Dipper went down the stairs, wiping his drenched short hair with a cloth, already in his pajamas, as he neared the kitchen, Robbie's and Roderick's voice could be heard. At the moment the teenager pirate reached the entrance, he saw his father impaling a knife on the table between Robbie's hand and a bottle of rum.

"You're not drinking a drop of alcohol until I say so, do you hear me? If Mabel wasn't so nice, you'd be sleeping in your room back in the ship and I'd have personally bound you there if she asked me. What you did was inexcusable." Roderick's voice was full of authority.

The captain liked the young man. He even considered him part of the family. Not as a son, though he took him in when Robbie was just a kid. He was more like a nephew for Roderick. Still, he was very important. However, he disobeyed the leader's strict orders and almost got an innocent, young and sweet girl killed. Roderick was having a hard time forgiving Robbie.

"Sorry, Sir…"

"Now go sleep on the mattress in the living room. Soos will be coming soon too. We should all get some rest."

"Aye, Captain…" The shameful man replied. He was doing his best to obey every single thing Roderick said now. He knew very well that a random member of the crew that did something like that would either be kicked out of the group or be killed for provoking the captain one tiny bit more.

Robbie stood up and walked out of the kitchen without even looking at Dipper who was walking the opposite direction.

"So, where is Soos?"

"He was taking Melody back to her home after she cleaned everything up for us. I told her it was okay, she already did a lot by cooking for us, but you know her, she's always trying to help too much."

"Indeed… By the way, where's Grunkle Stan?" Dipper said sitting at the table with a few grapes in a bowl and started eating some.

"He went to sleep already. You were probably in our room. And I thought you'd be sleeping. You look exhausted."

"A bit tired. Yeah. But I didn't want to go to sleep just yet." Saying that, he reached for the bottle of rum in front of his father, but the captain took it out before he could reach it.

"You're too young for that, yet."

"Geez, you're so annoying…" He humphed with a joking tone. His father grinned, but then there was silence for a few moments, until Dipper asked after chewing another grape. "What do you and Stan do when you're out the entire day, after all? You only come back like super late."

"You know, just old man stuff."

"You talk like you're already a 100 years old. Come on, Dad, you're still very young."

"Just a matter of speaking. We usually just sit and talk with drinks. We go to the harbor to see how the ship is, we go to taverns and play some card games betting money, obviously. Sometimes we train against each other. It's basically just to get him out of the shop for a while; he works a lot around here without much help, he deserves some rest and I like the company of my uncle. Speaking of it, good job cleaning and organizing the merchandise."

"It was Mabel's idea."

"She's a good girl."

"Yeah… She is…" His tone was so sad and almost defeated that made his father raise his eyes from the drink in his hands to watch his son spitting out a seed.

"You know she won't stay, Son. Don't get too attached. She's a good girl, yes; and you're basically the one taking care of her, yes; but keep your distance. Even if she wants to stay now, she'll miss her family and friends." _Too little too late for that now, Dad…_ The boy thought to himself.

"I know. I just… Dunno, I just wish she wasn't so nice sometimes. It would be easier to let her go." Dipper sighed but tried not to sound so depressed. The truth was that he was desperately trying to find a way to make her stay. At that moment, Soos entered the house, waved to both of them and then told them goodnight before he went to sleep. "Changing the subject, I've been wondering how you and mom met. You never talk much about her…"

"Why do you ask that all of a sudden?" in response, Dipper just shrugged, lifting his both hands in the air with his palms up as if there was no reason in particular.

But the thing was that Dipper just wanted to know if he was so different from his father or not, he wanted to know if his father started loving his mother as fast as he started loving Mabel. Even though the answer was different than his reality, it wouldn't change the way he felt. He just needed to know, though.

Roderick raised an eyebrow. He didn't believe that people just got curious. But then again, this was Dipper and he was probably the most curious kid in the entire kingdom. He probably wanted to ask that for a long time and just got enough courage now. Dipper watched as his father moved, a bit uncomfortable, in his seat and then took a long sip of rum.

"Well, you know, my father used to travel a lot to find new stuff to put in the shop, when I was young, he took me to some of those travels. One of them was the capitol, Alyoth. Turns out I really liked it there. In fact, my own father and his brother were born and raised there. So when I turned 17, I told my father I wanted to go live in Alyoth for a while. He contacted some people he knew so I could stay in their house until I managed to live by myself or decide to come back to Salus City."

"Yeah, you told me you lived in the capitol for a while…"

"So, a few days after I got there, a very beautiful girl who was visiting some cousin or cousin's friends showed up. She was staying for only one month. She was charming, gracious, and intelligent… To me she was God's most beautiful creature in the world. Nothing could have prepared me for her beauty, not even my dreams. A beauty that comes from the inside."

Dipper looked at him with full attention, but his father had his eyes and mind way lost in the past while he absentmindedly drank his rum. Dipper wouldn't dare interrupt him.

"She worked as a waitress in a tavern, I think they earned a lot of costumers that month because of her. She was quite organized and liked to plan everything out, I think you inherited it from her, though you take your organization to a whole new level. However, she was a klutz."

"An organized klutz? She was like a walking contradiction or something?"

"Indeed. And that's what was very charming about her. She used to break bottles and let stuff fall on a daily basis, a walking disaster, but nothing could break her cheerful smile. No matter what, she was always positive and happy. There's no one in the world like her... I guess that's why I never got to love anyone else. I mean, I had other women, slept with some and stuff. But none of them were her."

"Dad, I'm so sorry..."

"It wasn't your fault, Son..." Roderick replied with a ghost of smile trying to grace his lips, but failing miserable. "You know, the owners of the tavern got a bit angry at her for breaking so many things. So she started also working selling vegetables in a nearby store and working at the night in the tavern, though a lot of people came to see her, she did gave the owners of the tavern some loss in their finances. She worked a lot that month… You know, she couldn't cook to save her life. Geez, everything she cooked was just… Horrible. But she never gave up trying. If she were alive she'd probably still trying, she'd only stop when she succeed."

"I'd have liked to meet her…"

"Definitely. You know, she had this super power of always seeing the bright side of the worst situations. She could make anyone smile somehow even passing through hard times." Roderick managed to smile just a little bit. "I think I fell for her the first time I laid eyes on her. I only realized it like one week later. Even though she was beautiful, she was the kind of woman that didn't really stand out in a crowd at first glance. You have to look at her the same time to really look at her. Pretty face, good-looking body, dark brown hair and eyes. She looked common, but her heart was worth more than any treasure in the world. I'd give anything to see her again for one day… And you, Kid," He said pointing to Dipper who looked like his eyes were already a bit wet, his father was never the emotional kind of guy, but it was like Roderick just couldn't stop himself. "You are all I've got that's left of her."

His son gulped; suddenly it was too hard to swallow any more grapes. Now he knew why his father never talked about his mother. It was just too painful. Roderick really loved her. And now Dipper knew why his father was just so overprotective of him, even though he tried hard not to show it.

"You know, I remember her face, I remember the way she smiled, the way she blinked playfully, the way she looked at the horizon in reverie, the way she looked when she slept. But I can't really remember her laugh. Or her voice. They say the voice is the first thing you forget. I do remember her calling me or saying something funny, but the truth is that I don't know if her voice was really the way I remember." There was a moment of silence and Roderick closed his bottle of rum before he stood up. "Now clean up this mess and go to bed." Ruffling his son's hair, he left the kitchen.

Dipper stood there for a moment, sitting at the table with the bowl of grapes in front of him and a lot of seeds by its side. Just blinking and taking it all in. He discovered what he wanted. He was more like his father than he knew; he indeed fell for his mother very quickly. And it lasted a lifetime. Could it be that he was so like his father to love someone so intensely like that? At first he doubted that, now he wasn't so sure. And it kind of scared him.

* * *

 **And here's chap 10! I hope you all liked it! :D**

 **Please leave me a review telling what you guys think about it!**

 **And after that, don't forget to check my DA page, I'm going to put a lot of drawings for the characters starting this week! :D**

 **Itban Fuyu**


	12. 11 - Kindred Spirits

****Firstly, I'd like to thank my dear beta, Ladipretender, for editing and correcting this chap! Soon all the previous chaps will be corrected as well!****

 ** **Thanks to all the people who reviewed, favorited and followed! That's so important to me!****

 **The cover was made by me, this and other drawings are in my DA page, the link is in my profile, if you're interested, please go check it** **ou** **t.**

 **And just answering a Guest review,well, actually I can't say much, but keep thinking like that.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

 **Kindred Spirits**

Mabel was already in the kitchen when they woke up. Melody never came to fix them breakfast, it was just too early and she probably had other stuff to do. So Mabel was trying to cook for them.

She was obviously as happy and cheerful as always, but Dipper noticed something different about her, though he didn't know what was it, he guessed he only knew something was up because he was already looking too much at her all the time.

"Good morning!" She cheered. "Since I couldn't make a single sunny side up egg the day before yesterday, I tried something easier today. Boiled eggs. Anyone want some? I kinda made a lot…"

"Girl, you're gonna waste all my eggs playing cooking." Grunkle Stan replied a bit annoyed, yet not angry. He was just too tight fisted to let it go like that.

"Sorry, I just wanted to make something good for you all."

"It's okay, but eggs are quite expensive for commoners. And wasting money is not something I like to do."

"They're good, though. I mean it; I just ate some. I was going to wait for you all, but I was so hungry that I couldn't. So it's not really wasted if you're gonna eat it, right? Besides, Dipper told me how you are with money and I hope this can make up for it." She said handing him some jewelry. "These were my earrings I was wearing the night I was taken away from the palace. You can have them if you wish."

Grunkle Stan suddenly had a great greedy smile as he took the earrings.

"Girl, you can use as many eggs as you want now."

"Great. But… What about coffee beans? I tried to make some, but it's… awful… But at least I can make tea and boiled eggs now."

The old man sighed.

"Come here, Girl, I'm gonna teach you how to do it so you won't waste any more precious coffee…"

"Well, I'm eating." Robbie said sitting down without losing a second, so hungry was he. Soos soon joined him.

"Thanks, Mabel." The chubby man happily said.

Dipper and his father sat with them as well while Grunkle Stan started showing Mabel how to roast coffee beans. When the old man left the roasted beans to boil, he told her it would take some time and then the girl said she'd go back to her room to finish getting ready. Her hair was in a messy plait that made a few strands of it graciously fall on her face, she was still barefoot and she wasn't using her commoner's vest yet, just an indigo shirt and crimson long skirt.

She stopped in the middle of the way, though, turning around to look at her pirate chaperone eating eggs and bread.

"Oh, Dipper, when you finish could you please come to my room. I mean, your room. I need help with something."

"Sure." Mumbled the teenager with his mouth full of food. With a gentle smile, she left, the silence was so great they could all hear her footsteps up the stairs.

"Help with what?" Robbie asked between bites, wondering to no one in particular.

"Who knows? Maybe my window got stuck again. Or she found a spider web. Or something like that."

"Wherever it is, don't take too long, I'll be opening the shop soon and I want the three of you working there."

"Aye, Grunkle…"

It didn't take long before Dipper finished his breakfast, washed his dishes and then went back upstairs. He knocked on the door three times in a row and then entered after hearing her approval.

She was yawning while brushing her hair in front of a small mirror placed over the drawer. She was already using a dark brown peasant bodice and boots, a crimson bow on her head and she even had some peach ribbons adorning the middle of her long sleeves. With a wide, beautiful smile, she turned to face him. Dipper was so distracted for a moment that he almost didn't pay attention to what she said.

"Great! You're already here. I know we have to go work but I just wanted you to do something first."

"And what is it?"

"Take your shirt off." His mouth dropped and he felt his heart suddenly racing a million miles per second.

"Wha- _what_?!"

"And try this on!" Ignoring him, she showed him a light aqua shirt.

He was still too flabbergasted to fully comprehend what was going on, it took him about three seconds to understand and sigh. He hated to admit it but he couldn't help but feel just a little bit disappointed.

"I-I… what?"

"It's the pajama I promised you. Well, just part of it, obviously. You said the one I used was old so I made this slightly bigger. But I need you to try it on so I can see if it needs many adjustments and where."

"But… you told me last night you were about to do this… It was too fast, how did you do that in only one day?"

"I'm good at it. Now, try it on, please."

"But, Mabel, you couldn't have finished so fast! And just when did you do it? We were working all day!"

"It was after dinner. And, as I told you, I'm good at it. Really good. Now will you please just try it on?"

"Fine!" The boy mumbled quickly taking his peasant vest off and throwing it on the backside of the chair in front of the table. His top soon followed it and he was shirtless. She handed him the pajama she sewed and he didn't lose time in putting that on. He felt lucky for not blushing too much in front of her.

"See? It wasn't so difficult. What do you think?"

"I don't know, but it's comfortable." Dipper said opening his arms to test the movements of the fabric. "By the way, how did you get it?"

"Your Grunkle's shop, duh! And don't worry, I talked to him. He told me I could use some of his fabric, needles and thread if I mend some of his clothes. And so I did."

"Wait, what?"

Mabel sighed, annoyed, as she measured to see if the sleeves were fit perfectly while he kept his arms opened wide.

"Are you going to make me repeat myself?"

"Mabel, I don't really know how it works, but you wouldn't be able to make this pajama shirt and patch up some of Grunkle's Stan clothes in just a few hours after dinner!" He complained, watching her closer and finally realizing what was different. There were very small dark rings right beneath her eyes. He quickly grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him. "Mabel, you didn't stay up all night just to do it, right? I told you I don't need it, I have others."

"No, I didn't."

"Don't lie to me! There are black rings on your eyes and you were yawning when I came in. You look tired."

"Are you calling me a liar? I didn't stay up all night just to do it for you. And that's not a lie. But I really haven't slept well since we got here, you know. I tried to run away and then Robbie attacked me and all. It wasn't really peaceful and that must be why you're seeing those things. It will wear off soon."

"Really? So you're definitely not saying up all night only to sew this, right?"

"No." With that he nodded and let her go, once again assuming a position with his arms open so she could finish measuring it. It took only a few minutes. "Okay, you can take this off now. Thanks, now I know I managed to do it quite well, almost perfect for you. The trousers will take a little longer, though."

"It's okay, there's no need to hurry, anyway." He insisted taking off the aqua shirt to put his own white one with the dark brown peasant vest. He didn't really notice Mabel glancing at his bare chest and arms, but he'd have turned tomato red if he did. "We should get down now."

Mabel nodded and left the pajama shirt she made on the table along with a lot of fabric of the same color, needles and thread. She didn't want to admit it, but she did like what she saw. Dipper seemed to be a very scrawny guy, but he actually wasn't so skinny after all. He was just a teenager in development, with muscles getting defined with all the pirate training he did.

Both walked down the stairs and went directly to the shop where Robbie and Wendy were already waiting.

"Hey, guys!" The tall red haired girl greeted.

"Hello, Wendy! Ready for another day at work?"

"Sure, but, you know, I've been thinking and I had an idea. The shop doesn't really need the four of us all the time; especially now that we finished cleaning and organizing all the merchandise. So maybe you could go out and see the city, Mabel. I mean, you deserve it; you always wanted to see beyond the castle walls, right? Having you locked up in a store while you could be seeing so much seems unfair."

"Are you serious?" Mabel exclaimed, almost beginning to jump in happiness; she had seen so little walking from the ship to Stan's place and then the night when she tried to run away and it was too dark to see properly.

"What if she tries to run away again?" Robbie asked, no longer using words like 'royal brat' to describe her. Maybe he was already getting a bit fond of her.

"Wendy, she can't walk around the city by herself. Not because she might escape, but because it's dangerous, she doesn't know anyone and she might get lost."

"That's why you'll go with her. Robbie and I will stay here today, right?" The young pirate raised an eyebrow and looked at her, she had a look that just screamed 'do as I say' and he wasn't stupid enough not to comply.

"Yeah. Sure."

And then Mabel gave the most beautiful and excited smile Dipper had ever seen, turning around and yelling she'd get her beige cloak. Dipper was a bit awestruck facing Wendy with anger in his eyes.

"Wendy! You're not doing that because of what we talked about, are you?! Could you please just stop butting into my business!"

"Oh, Dipper, stop being so self-centered. I wasn't thinking about you when I suggested it. I was thinking about her. I honestly don't think it's fair to her being stuck in here while she could just go outside and see so many things. She doesn't have too long out of the palace so she should enjoy the time she has. But if you don't want to go, then fine. I can go with her."

"Wait, Red, are you sure you're gonna leave me and him together to take care of the shop? Alone? You know the probability of getting back and finding something broken or one of us dead is pretty high, right?" Robbie questioned, pointing at Dipper with his thumb. It wasn't like they would really kill each other, but they'd surely fight over something stupid.

"And that's why I suggested he'd go with Mabel. Wait, so you're not complaining about them going while we stay to work?" Wendy asked her boyfriend, confused.

"No, I think you're right. Besides, if the princess stays here for much longer she'd end up finding something for me to do or clean up. With just the two of us I can either lazily sit here all day or spend it kissing you." Wendy rolled her eyes, but she had a smile on her lips.

Dipper couldn't help but agree and so he changed his brown peasant vest for his favorite blue and red one, buckling his belt over it to hold his sword. A pirate would never leave without his weapon. He was done just in time to see Mabel sauntering at them with the beige cape he gave her, saying she was ready to go. Both said farewell to their friends and then he lead the way outside.

* * *

Mary was pacing back and forth once again in her room. She barely slept since her niece Mabel was kidnapped. And the worst thing was that the kidnappers had never even made contact. She expected something, anything already. A messenger boy, a dove, a letter, _anything_. But there was just nothing. Sometimes she feared weather Mabel was really alive or not. The girl was almost like her daughter instead of niece, after all, she raised her since her sister died shortly after Mabel was born.

And she got even angrier when she exited her room to find the king minding his business not as half as worried as he should be.

"What's gotten into you, Albert?" She just snapped. "It's been almost a week since she was taken and you only sit here as if nothing has happened! That's just not you, you overprotective freak!"

"I'm not overprotective. And don't yell at me, I'm your brother-in-law, but I'm still the King."

"Then hang me if you will." Exclaimed Mary, throwing her arms to the sides for emphasis. She humphed and he just rolled his eyes as he started walking down the corridors. "And of course you are. You never even let Mabel out of the castle, not even for one day. You locked her in here her entire life with no friends. She always hated it in here and you never even cared."

"Stop being so melodramatic. And that didn't stop you from trying to take her to the city and stuff like that. Mabel is not supposed to leave here, do you hear me?"

"But she did. And now, I don't even know if she's alive or dead. If she's fine, if she's hungry, or tired or sad. I don't know anything." Mary had to cover her mouth to stop her crying hiccups. The king sighed, annoyed.

"Don't be silly, Mary. Of course she's fine."

"How can you be so sure? She was taken by pirates. _Pirates_."

King Albert entered inside his office room and she kept following. She was on the verge of a heart attack and he thought it was time for her to see the note the pirate's left the night they took Mabel. He didn't notice he was that desperate even though he was a very cold, and very callous man, and wasn't used to paying much attention to other people's feelings. But he wasn't a sadist either.

"Because I know the son of a bitch who took her." The king closed the door and gave her the note, as she started reading, he continued. "Maybe I should have hanged the bastard long ago when I had the chance, but I was just too young and stupid to do so. The thing is, he kidnapped her to punish me."

"Wait, you don't think it was…" She trailed off looking up from the paper and back to her red haired brother-in-law.

"Exactly. The only one idiotic enough to enact that stupidity. And he probably doesn't even know what he got himself into. He got in the way of a very important business transaction here."

"How can you talk like that of your daughter's betrothal?"

"Because it is what it is." He replied, sitting on the chair behind his huge table. "You might not know the situation so let me enlighten it for you. The kingdom Ranelia, far up north, has been searching a way to get us for a long time now and they're finally gaining some important allies. What do you think they will do? Attack our kingdom. So Mabel needs to marry Gideon because it is the only way to save our kingdom. Simple as that."

"You can't just sell you daughter away like she's some kind of object."

"Do not question me, Mary. You don't know the half of it. And it's not like Gideon is that bad. He's a good prince and will be a good king and husband. You saw the way he looked at Mabel, he liked her."

Mary frowned, her chestnut eyebrows furrowing, and put the note back on his table before she walked out of the office.

* * *

"So, where are we going now?"

Mabel asked, sauntering after Dipper. She had never seen so much stuff in one single day. She never imagined in her most dazzling dreams that the world could be so beautiful. It was just so different than her fancy cage.

And he was the one making it possible; he was the one guiding her to her dreams. In fact, she didn't remember having such a cute and gentle boy in her dreams. What she was living was way better than any dream. It was _real_.

"Well, I already showed you the most important points of the city, now I'm going to show you my favorite spot."

"But the city is to the other side…"

"And who said my favorite spot is in the city? Maybe it's in the surroundings of it."

"Oh. Okay. That makes sense."

"The place I'm going to show is kinda of a secret, so I'd like you to keep it like that, okay? Only Stan and my dad know about it. And now you too."

"I already feel honored." The girl said keeping up his fast pace. "But why are you showing me this if it's so important to you?"

Her question took him by surprise. But he knew why. He turned back to face her and Mabel felt her heart skipping a beat. There was a small smile on his lips and a lot of feelings in his eyes. She could distinguish assurance, trust, hope, and care but there was something else she couldn't really recognize.

"Because you're worth showing it."

She had never been gazed at with a look like that and it kinda took her breath away. But she tried to ignore it. There was no way she was feeling attracted to that dashing young pirate. Right?

She gulped. She couldn't fall in love. Not at all. Not because she was engaged, but because she was on the run. She knew there was just so much he could do, if she needed to, she'd run away. She'd have to run away. She could not go back to the palace, to that fancy cage to be imprisoned like a bird. Falling in love would only spoil everything.

"We're here." He said, gesturing to the place in front of her. Her jaw dropped.

"It's beautiful!"

"I know." He replied with a proud grin on his lips.

The place was indeed beautiful. It was isolated from the city, the river flowed over some rocks and it was possible to cross the waterway using them. It was peaceful, green, wonderful, cozy and it looked like it was just too good to be true. Insects like dragonflies and butterflies passed here and there but she didn't pay attention to them.

The calm sound of the water, the smell of the grass, the singing of birds, it was all so overwhelming she had to pause a moment to take it all in. Mabel never had the opportunity to see a place like this. She had always been inside the castle, and even though it was a huge, enormous palace, it got a little too narrow when it was the only place a person could ever be for more than 16 years.

"No wonder it is your favorite spot. It's wonderful."

"I found this place when I was about 9 years old. Since then, I've always came here when I had the time. I could spend a whole day here reading and would only notice I was here for too long when the sun would set."

"Geez, you're such a nerd!" She joked but he didn't laugh.

"Yeah, I know."

"But didn't you just like to play around with the other kids your age?"

"The other kids my age were stupid. And I didn't really know how to get near them, I was quite shy, you know…"

"You were an antisocial bookworm, weren't you?"

"Well, yeah. That too, but they just didn't like me, I guess. They used to make fun of me. So I decided I was fine on my own. I'd rather be alone then with guys like that. Maybe I just needed someone easygoing to teach me how to get closer to people."

"They picked on you because of your birthmark?"

"That too."

"Then you're right. They were really stupid."

"Thanks." He said, sitting in the shadow of a tree and she did the same, pulling her knees to her chest, embracing her legs. "What about you? I bet you had a lot of royal kids to play with, right?"

"Oh, no. Quite the opposite, actually."

"Really?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow. "How come?"

"My father was always a very strict man. We were never really close and he didn't accept me going out of the castle gates and walls. I met some royal people, one of them is a close friend, but it's not like they could stay for long periods of times. And then there were the children of the servants. They stayed in the palace almost all the time, but they didn't really like to get close to me. When I was 8, one of the servants' kids accidentally made me fall and I got hurt. Nothing serious, you know, kids' stuff. But he got punished for it. Not severely punished, he was a kid, but after that no one else ever wanted to get close to me. I guess I just needed someone to play with when I was a child."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. When I was 12, I met my ladies Candy and Grenda and they're like the best friends I could have ever wished for. I like quality better over quantity. If I have to choose between having 100 friends that would gossip behind my back or two whom I can trust, I'd pick the second option in a blink of an eye."

She told him with a very bright smile. How could she just say it like it was nothing? Here he was, feeling stupidly sorry for himself because people mocked him for his birthmark while she was lonely her entire childhood and she didn't even care about it. Mabel really had the power of positive thinking and he felt like he needed to learn how she could do that. Both were sort of lonely their whole lives, but that didn't mean it would have to be like that forever.

* * *

 **Please leave me a review on your way out telling me what you guys think about the story until now! I'd love to read it!**

 **And after that, don't forget to check my DA page, I'm going to put a lot of drawings for the characters starting this week! :D**

 **Itban Fuyu**


	13. 12 - Sweet Dreams

****Firstly, I'd like to thank my dear beta, Ladipretender, for editing and correcting this chap! You're awesome, girl! :D****

 ** **Thanks to all the people who reviewed, favorited and followed! That's so important to me!****

 **The cover was made by me, this and other drawings are in my DA page, the link is in my profile, if you're interested, please go check it** **ou** **t.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

 **Sweet Dreams**

Mabel and Dipper arrived back at Stan's home right before sunset.

And of course when they got home, Grunkle Stan was ready with a list of chores for Dipper for missing his work and nothing Wendy said to get him out of it worked. He didn't bother much, though, starting right after dinner, which was served at 7:00.

So while Dipper had to cut some wood for the fireplace and stove, Mabel asked Melody to help her try to bake something she always wanted to: apple pie. Mabel liked apple pie and always wanted to try making it, but the palace kitchen's servants had never let her do so.

So she had quite the time as Melody showed her how to make a proper pie. She needed to prepare the pasties, chop the apples, add cinnamon, sugar and other ingredients before putting it in the stove. The wait was so long it seemed like hours. Mabel was so eager to get it when Melody announced it was ready that she almost burned herself.

But finally, she tasted it. And, to her surprise, it was good. Excited, Mabel got a lot of plates and started cutting slices of it to give everyone. Soos quickly ate his before he escorted Melody back to her house.

"Hey, Stan, Roderick, Robbie, what do you guys think of it?" The princess asked, not able to contain herself from sheer happiness, resting her chin on both hands.

The three men were sitting across from her at the table, tasting the apple pie as she asked.

"Well, it's good indeed…" Grunkle Stan mumbled to himself, chewing.

"Yeah, watch out or he might ask you to make some he can sell." Commented Robbie in a joking tone.

"But of course, who would I be if I passed up the opportunity to get my hands on some gold? I'm a pirate remember? I've been one for longer than you've existed."

"Yeah, yeah…" The younger man mumbled, rolling his dark blue eyes.

"Anyway, it is very good Mabel. Especially it being the first time you really tried to cook something." Roderick complimented, finishing his slice.

"Thanks!"

At that moment, Dipper walked down the stairs, already in his pajamas after taking a sponge bath to remove all the sweat from his Grunkle's extra chores. Mabel promptly jumped off her chair and handed him a plate with a slice of pie.

"Here! Taste it! I made it myself!"

Dipper looked at it and then back at her, a bit suspicious.

"It's not like the sunny side up eggs event, right?"

"No. I may have exaggerated a little bit. I didn't do everything, actually I helped Melody do this all while she taught me to, but I helped a lot, okay? More than I have ever done before and it is good. Ask them if you have any doubt."

"Just eat it, Son. I promise you're not gonna get sick." Roderick joked, but he meant it.

Dipper shrugged and accepted the plate nonetheless, quickly eating the contents and praising Mabel, who was anxiously awaiting it.

When Soos got home, he ate another slice before he went to sleep. They left the remains of the pie on the table with a white piece of cloth on top to protect it. And so Mabel collected all the dishes and started washing them.

"Would you like some help?"

"Thanks, but no. It's not much and you were probably busy all day, Roderick."

"Dipper can help you."

"Please don't. He took me out to see the city and his Grunkle Stan just gave him chores to do when we got back. He didn't deserve this just because he was doing me a favor. Besides, he probably already went to sleep."

"I'm sure he didn't mind the trouble. Anyway Stan would have given him those chores to do sooner or later and Dipper knew it. He was raised by Stan, you know."

"I know. He told me so. You were already a pirate, back then, right?"

"Indeed, you're right."

"Roderick, if I may ask, why did you become a pirate?"

The man choked out a small laugh.

"Something was taken from me several years ago. I lost everything. Well, almost everything and what I had was difficult enough to keep. So I decided that no one would trample over me again, that I'd never have to go through suffering like that another time. I grabbed my opportunity to be powerful. Stan trained me and then I took over his ship and what was left of the crew. Then I started sailing the seven seas after everything I could get my hands into. It was way better than to remember the pain of what I lost."

Mabel gave him a sad smile. It was only a few simple phrases that summed pretty much half of his life but that revealed so much to the caring girl.

The captain then decided to go sleep like everyone else was already doing, not forgetting to tell her to go soon as well. He knew no one needed to keep an eye on her, he knew she wouldn't try to escape again, because he trusted his son's judgment. Besides, she didn't have anywhere else to go.

* * *

Dipper tossed and turned in his sleep, soon finding himself waking from his slumber. As he opened his tired eyes, he could see the dark guest room and hear his father breathing on the other side of the chamber. He cursed himself for waking, but sat up anyway. He was thirsty, so he stood just to walk all the way down to the kitchen and fetch some water.

After finally satisfying his thirsty throat, he groggily staggered back upstairs. But on the way to the guest room, he noticed something weird. On the other side of the door of his room, there was light. He rubbed his tired eyes just in case his mind was playing some trick and looked again. No, there was definitely a source of light coming from the other side of the door.

Dipper had a very curious nature, so it wasn't in him to just forget about that and go back to bed. If there was a mystery to solve, he wouldn't just go to sleep. Pressing his ear against the wooden door, he tried to hear what was going on. There was no sound, so he imagined Mabel had just fallen asleep with a lamp lit up, so he silently entered in the room.

The moment the door creaked open; he heard a yelp that was soon shushed. Mabel was sitting at his table and she was so startled that she jumped from the chair, making noise as it slid against the floor, but not enough to wake anyone. The girl panted, startled and he looked at her in a mix between astonishment and disbelief.

"Geez, Dipper, you nearly scare me half to death!" exclaimed Mabel, holding her heart that was hammering so fast she felt like it could just beat through her chest and out to the world.

"Mabel, what are you doing?" He asked slowly, taking two steps into the room, leaving the door half open.

She sighed looking to the side, one hand mindlessly tidying up the pajama she'd stolen from him. She'd been wearing the white nightgown they gave her, but it was still wet from when she washed it earlier the last time she checked. The weather was too cold and humid for fabric to dry fast.

"It's not what it looks like…"

"You lied to me. You're sewing, aren't you? It's like three in the morning and you'd probably stay up all night just to do that stupid…"

"It's not that!" she replied before he could finish the sentence, suddenly irritated. "I didn't lie."

"Oh, no? So you deny you were sewing that pajama?"

"No. But you don't understand. I'm not awake because I'm sewing. And that's why I didn't lie. You asked me if I was awake to do this and it's not true. It's the opposite. I'm just doing it while I'm awake."

"What? Then just go to bed already. It's late and I know you're tired. I don't need a new pajama now, I told you a billion times!"

"Gosh, you're so self-centered. I'm not doing it because I'm in a hurry. I'm just doing it because I can't sleep. If it wasn't your pajama, I'd just find other stuff to do."

"What do you mean you can't sleep?" He questioned suddenly much more curious and worried than angry.

"It's nothing, just forget about it." Instead of leaving like she wanted, Dipper merely crossed his arms and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Mabel sighed, knowing it meant he was going to stay there until he got an answer. Sometimes Dipper was just too stubborn. "It's just ridiculous, okay? So it doesn't matter."

"If it matters to you, it matters. And I'm not gonna laugh if that's what you're afraid of." He assured while she just fell back into the chair, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"It's just stupid."

"You can tell me." His voice was so reassuring she couldn't help but believe him. Dipper kneeled down closer to her so he could be on a similar eye level.

Mabel looked at him intensely, searching for a reason not to tell him, but she found none. He was so generous and strong at the same time it made her feel safe. She bit her lip for a few moments until she could gather up enough courage to speak.

"It's just that since the night Robbie went all crazed up, high in alcohol and tried to attack me I can't sleep. I just can't let myself sleep."

"Mabel, if that was it you could have just told us. He can sleep back in the ship for as long as you want him to. Even without him being tied up, though I'd love that." He tried to joke and almost made a smile grace her lips.

"He is not the problem, Dipper. I am. It's that I just realized how weak and vulnerable I am. My dad was right, you know… I wouldn't last a day out there by myself. And that kinda scares me enough to leave me restless."

"Well, you could just lock the door."

"I don't really like it and anyone could just open it or pick the lock, anyway.

"And what was your plan? Stay up all night for the rest of your life? That's not gonna fix anything."

"I know, but I just can't fall asleep. Every time I close my eyes it's like a burning fear sensation creeps into me because I realized that if someone tried to attack me while I'm sleeping like Robbie did, but sober and with full intention to hurt me, the person would probably kill me even before I manage to scream. You don't know how useless I feel…" Then she started running her nervous hands down her side braid, she usually tied up her hair to sew so it wouldn't fall in the way.

"Oh, Mabel, just tell me when something is wrong, okay? If you want me to, I can sleep here on the floor or in the corridor if it makes you feel better."

"That's really sweet, but I want to be able to feel safe by myself. Look, just forget it and go to sleep, okay? I'll eventually forget it and sleep too."

Dipper frowned, not really believing her, and looked to the side thinking what to do when an idea suddenly hit him. "What if I teach you how to defend yourself?"

Her eyes sparkled. "Really? You'd do that for me? But are you sure I can do this? My dad always told me fighting is not for princesses…"

"Your father isn't here and if he was, I'd tell him I don't agree with him at all."

"But, now?"

"Apparently you won't sleep until then so we better start as soon as possible so _I_ can go back to sleep." Dipper announced standing up. "But it will be just a few moves, one quick lesson, enough for you to see you're not that hopeless. Fighting takes some time to master and you won't be doing this in one night. You'll manage to just get away to scream, though. I guess it will help you sleep."

She thanked him as he extended a hand to guide her out of the chair and up.

"So how do we begin?"

"You said you're scared of someone caming in the middle of the night, right?" She promptly nodded, her usual cheerful smile already on her face again. "Well, so… I guess you should… lay down…" He trailed off finally realizing how stupidly awkward it would get.

"Sure."

Dipper gulped and discretely closed the door, almost regretting offering. It was going to be excruciatingly awkward. But he couldn't back away now. She needed it. And as weird as it sounded for him, Mabel came first. He would not let her down.

She laid back down on the bed, like she was when Robbie tried to attack. Dipper ran a nervous hand through his chestnut hair, it was dark but even so, she could see the trace of his birthmark on his forehead. He approached to sit on the corner of the bed.

"I-I'll start with something basic. If someone comes to try and choke you, for example, the person will probably use both hands. Like this." He started, bringing his hands near her neck, thanking the Gods he wasn't trembling from nervousness because it would only make him feel more stupid. He stopped before he could even brush her skin. "I won't hurt you, okay?"

"I know." Her soft voice surprised even herself. She really did know that she trusted him so.

Her heart skipped a beat. Since when had started trusting so fast? Sure, she trusted him from the beginning, but she didn't know it was that deep. With everyone else she had relied on in the palace, it felt like forever before she trusted them. She felt safe with Dipper, he was the source of her calmness and assurance and a week ago she hadn't even known he existed. Lost in thoughts, she barely noticed when he somehow placed himself on top of her, yet he was as far as he could be, barely touching her at all. Once again she was surprised to notice she wasn't one bit scared.

Dipper gulped, imagining how his father and Grunkle would react if they ended up seeing him like that. They'd probably kill him, thinking the boy was taking advantage of her or something like that.

"So, first, if someone tries to choke you, he or she will probably be in a position like this and then would reach your neck like I'm doing. So what would you do to break free?"

"Try to push their arms away?" She answered but it sounded like a question, holding his forearms to demonstrate what she'd do.

"Yeah, that's what most people would do, but it's not really effective, especially if the person who is trying to kill you is stronger. And men are usually stronger than women."

"So what could I do, then? If the person is stronger there's nothing I can do."

"Of course there is. Everyone has a weak spot and even if you're facing the strongest man in the kingdom, there's nothing he could do if you make him lose balance."

"And how do I do that?"

"You break the point where he's applying the most strength. You'll clamp your fists together over your belly and then hold each hand tight as you push your fists up above your head. Try doing it slowly." She complied and saw that when she pushed her arms up, he'd have no way but to let go of her neck. "See? If you do this very fast when someone is choking you, you'll be able to break free."

"But then what? How can I keep the person away, he could just go and try choking me again."

"What would you do if I was trying to get closer to you right now?"

She gulped, feeling embarrassed and reaching out her hands to touch his chest.

"I'd try to push you like that."

"No, because I can easily turn my torso and break your resistance. You should hold the shoulders right here." He instructed guiding her hands from his chest to right place. "And stay with your arms extended so the attacker won't get nearer to you than your arm."

"What if someone tries to hold my hands down?"

"Like that?" He asked suddenly holding her wrists down on both sided of her head. He wasn't applying enough strength to hurt her, but he also wasn't holding her like she was made of glass. Mabel tried to break free, turning her wrists to make him let go, but it was no use. She still wasn't scared of him, but she was frightened of the situation. There was no way she could get free, yet he wasn't really making too much effort. "The advantage is with the person on top, gravity will make it more difficult for you to break free. In this case, you should try to use your legs. Legs are always stronger than arms."

"How will I do that if you're on top of me?" Mabel didn't mean to, but she blushed anyway.

"Simple, you try to turn your body and hips enough to put your knee up." He instructed guiding her body with a free hand, he was being totally respectful, but even so, she felt butterflies in her stomach to feel him touching her. "Then, try to place your foot on my hip and push it."

Mabel wasn't really meaning to shove him hard, but she did anyway. When she realized what she was doing, Dipper was already on the floor. And it wasn't like she really used strength; it was more because he didn't expect it at all.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

He slowly stood up holding the place she kicked him. Mumbling and wincing in pain, he was finally straight up with her by his side, asking for forgiveness.

"See? You did it." He managed to say as the pain passed. "I mean, you did catch me off guard, but you pushed me off of you all by yourself. And I'm fine, at least you didn't hit me in my weakest spot. I'd be on the ground even now... When in need, always try to hit a man where it will hurt, but try hard or it will only make him mad... Well, I guess it's enough of a lesson for today, right?"

"Yeah. You're right." Mabel responded, hugging him in thanks. "Thanks, Dipper! I did it! You made me feel so nice!"

"So, I think it's better for us to go sleep now..." His face was redder than an apple.

She let him go, agreeing, and he started to open the door to leave, when she stopped him mid way, pulling him lightly by the fabric of the pajama at the same time she got up on her tiptoes to gently kiss his cheek. She whispered another, "thank you" and then turned back to her temporary room. He left the chamber closing the door without even recognizing what he was doing, so surprised he was. It took him a while to fall asleep that night.

* * *

Dipper felt himself being shaken awake in the morning by his father.

"Stop with this laziness, Son. It's already morning."

"Let me sleep..."

"No, you have work to do and so do I. Come on, get up and get dressed, I'll meet you downstairs."

Dipper groggily sat up, rubbing his eyes, gathering strength enough stand. Soon, he washed his face with the bowl of water over the drawer, got dressed and made his way to the kitchen. Strangely, that morning Mabel wasn't there to greet them.

"Mabel is not awake yet? Weird, she's usually the first to wake up..." Stan pointed out, roasting coffee beans.

"Maybe she was just tired. Let her sleep for a while." Dipper said, grabbing some fruit and sitting at the table to eat. He already knew she hadn't had a real night's rest since they ported and that she was not sleeping at all since the Robbie incident. In fact, he was hoping not to see her there this morning, it meant she was still sleeping and she needed the rest.

"Yeah, but I'm checking on her just in case." The captain announced before he left the kitchen.

"Just don't wake her!" He heard Dipper's voice before he started going up the stairs again.

Roderick nodded as he walked up the stairs. He gently knocked a few times on the door that was his son's bedroom, but there was no answer. He knocked again before announcing he was coming in. Part of him was afraid she had tried to run away again, not only because of the money part (though that was also very important), but also Roderick hated to admit it, he was becoming fond of her and he didn't want her to get hurt or be in danger. Another part of him trusted the girl, she said she wouldn't try to run away again and she didn't seem like the type of person to lie so easily.

So he was both relieved and convinced at the same time when he opened the door to find her sleeping peacefully on the bed. She was sleeping so deeply that even the blinding light of the sun was not enough to disturb her slumber. Maybe Dipper was right; she was tired and just needed some rest.

With a small smile, he slowly walked to close the wooden window cases making the room a bit darker. Then he covered her a little more to protect her from the cold of the north, before he exited the room.

"You were right, Son. She's still sleeping." Roderick announced after going back downstairs. "Let her be for a little while. Anyway, Stan and I will be going now. We'll be back at night."

"Father, I remembered something. You know, the night of the kidnapping, I didn't leave empty handed. Or, should I say with my pockets empty… Anyway, I got a necklace, full of diamonds and stuff. Maybe it will be worth enough gold to stall the crew for a while…"

Dipper had forgotten it since that day, only remembering it recently, waiting for a chance to talk to his leader. Roderick got the necklace, indeed it seemed quite expensive.

"You're right. I shall exchange it for some gold today. Good thinking, Kid. I taught you well."

Putting the necklace in his pocket and ruffling his son's hair, the captain left with Stan. With a bit of laziness and a sigh, both Dipper and Robbie headed to the shop to start working.

* * *

It had been a while since Mabel had slept so deeply that she didn't rise with the sun. In fact, when she noticed it was morning, half of it had already passed. That was when the princess jumped out of bed and quickly started getting dressed. And while she was at it, she couldn't stop thinking about a certain chestnut haired pirate.

The memories of last night were still vivid in the back of her mind. The way Dipper looked at her, so full of attention and care, the way his soft voice told her what to do, the way he held her, not too strong and not too weak, just the perfect measure to feel wanted and respected at the same time. Just the thought of him made her shiver.

She did her best to push those thoughts aside and went downstairs. She grabbed an apple in the kitchen and entered the shop finding her three friends already there.

"Good morning!"

"Finally you decided to grace us with your presence." Robbie said, sarcasm evident in his voice. "Geez, you slept like a rock."

"Sleep well?" Dipper asked and Mabel felt her heart skip a beat, her mind tracing back to last night.

"Yes. Thanks." She ignored the red cheeks and took a bite of the apple, looking away.

Because of Mabel's luck, someone entered the shop and the attention was diverted from her. It was Melody, with a cheerful smile on her face and a paper in her hand.

"Hello, guys. Good morning. I'm going to make lunch for us again. I'll need something from the grocery, though. Could you two strong guys be so kind to go for me? Grunkle Stan left some money." She said handing Dipper the paper, which was a list of stuff to buy and then gave him a sac with golden coins. "I'll be here preparing to cook."

"Sure. We'll be back soon. Mabel, would you like to come as well?"

"I would, but maybe I should stay here with Wendy."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you soon. Bye." He bid farewell, a little disappointed that she didn't come as well, even if Robbie would be with them the entire time. But he didn't let it show.

Mabel wanted to go, however she chose to stay because she felt like she needed to think by herself for a while. She wouldn't say organize her thoughts because Mabel wasn't really an organized person, but she needed to let herself analyze what she was feeling without interference so she could understand her feelings towards Dipper. She sighed in her reverie.

"What is wrong, Mabel?" Wendy asked, remembering not to call her princess. Even though she saw her as a friend, it was still difficult to treat her like a commoner sometimes.

"I'm just… I just miss my friends, that's all."

"Are you… homesick?"

"No way." She said waving a hand around and making a fart-like noise with her mouth. "I don't miss that place at-all! But I miss my friends Candy and Grenda. I just wanted someone to talk to. And I wish they knew I'm okay."

"You talk a lot with Dipper. You guys get along pretty well. Why don't you go talk to him, then?"

Mabel blushed.

"Well, I can't really talk to him about… well… him…"

Wendy practically jumped, smiling from ear to ear very excited.

"You mean you want to have a girl-talk? You're so cute!"

"Don't be so loud! Someone might hear you…"

"That's so exiting! I haven't had girl talk in ages! I grew up with only boys, my dad and brothers and I live most of the time in a ship full of men. I never get girl-talk. So, what is it?"

"Well… I just… I don't know; that's the problem."

"What? You kinda lost me here…"

"It's just that… I like being around him. I like him, but at the same time, I don't know what I feel. I know I'm not supposed to love him, so what do I feel?"

"Wait, why are you not supposed to love him? He's a good guy."

"I know. But he's a pirate, and I am a princess." Wendy was about to complain, she was sure Mabel was underestimating her friend and she wouldn't agree with it, but before she had the chance to continue, Mabel did. "How could he love me?"

"Wait, what?"

"How could he love me? I'm just a spoiled, pampered naïve girl with stupid dreams and no sense of how the world really is outside the palace walls." Mabel said, caressing her long hair mindlessly, resisting the urge to chew it like she always did when she was very anxious. He was free; he could have everything he wanted. "He deserves someone that he can take on adventures. Someone that won't weigh him down... Someone that will not be merely a problem for him to take care of... Someone who can go with him on adventures.,, Someone like you."

Wendy wanted to tell Mabel that Dipper shared a quite self-underestimating feeling, but she knew it wasn't up to her. If they sorted things out and got together, that would be up to them and not her. She could only try to guide them to see the truth.

"Don't be silly, Mabel, you can be that person, too."

"Can I? Really? I can run from the palace but I'll always be a princess. I'll never be truly free. I can't chain him down too."

"It doesn't have to be like that, you know? You could be part of us. Part of our big, weird pirate family."

"I guess I could try. But I don't really know what I feel yet, I just don't want to get myself into something if I don't even know if I'm sure if that's what I really want and feel… I never got to get much experience in the palace. I knew a lot of royal guys my age. Princes, sons of dukes and countless young noblemen... But I never really got to know them. I have nothing to compare what I'm feeling."

"You can't really compare love, Gal. It's different for everyone."

"What do you mean?"

"For example, I have a lot of brothers. And I love all of them even though I fight them all the time too. But the feelings I have for each of them are different. It kind of depends of how close we are. And the love I feel for them is different than the love I have towards my father. Love is always different. But is love nonetheless."

"Then how can you be sure if it's love?"

"Love is a very strong and powerful feeling. It makes us want to do stuff we normally wouldn't. It gives us strength to be able to do stuff we don't want to do. If I have the chance, I'd gladly die and kill for the ones I love because the thought of living without them is just too painful for me to bear. I'd never let them get hurt if I can stop it. Sacrifice for the ones you love comes in many different ways just as love feels different for each person."

"That's beautiful, but then… How can I know if I feel it?"

"Well, my dear, that's something only you can answer."

* * *

 **Please leave me a review on your way out telling me what you guys think about the story so far! I'd love to read it!**

 **And after that, don't forget to check my DA page!**

 **Itban Fuyu**


	14. 13 - Gone

**Sorry it took me so long to update! I was very busy this past few weeks and so was my wonderful beta, Ladipretender, that managed to edit this chap as fast as she could so I could post it without so many mistakes!**

 **And thanks to everyone that have been reviewing, please keep doing that! Feedback is important! :D**

And just to answer a **Guest Review** : I understand you thought you'd feel awkward with it, I was also feeling awkward when I first heard of Pinecest. But I'm happy you're liking this story so much, I was really glad to know people like what I'm writing. And just an advice that helped me feeling less weirded by it, is that they're just fictional characters, so please, don't be stressed over it. If it was real life... yeah, that would be pretty awkward, but it's not real, so there's no harm done. Besides, in this fic is not only an AU (as you mentioned), but it also takes place in a different world, so it is totally fictional. And just one more thing, they do look cute together, being it as just siblings or as something more.

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

 **Gone**

Three days passed; Mabel's nights became calm and her dreams full of a certain pirate. Dipper kept giving the princess advice and teaching her tricks to defend herself as she asked. But not necessarily how to do it when attacked in the middle of her sleep, he tried to vary the scenarios.

Even with her nights full of peaceful rest, Mabel managed, as promised, to finish his pajama and he already started wearing it, telling her how he liked to use it for sleeping.

Besides her self-defense training, the days passed uneventfully. Mabel and Dipper kept missing work due to Wendy's idea to show her the town. And each day that passed, the princess became more and more excited with the world.

Dipper secretly wondered how long it would be like that. When would Mabel start getting tired of it? When would she start asking to go back home? When would she miss her family and parents so much she wouldn't be able to enjoy spending the day with him? Would he ever be able to find an adequate source of money for the crew?

Those questions troubled him. He tried not to think about them too much and just enjoy the day as his father had advised him. But it was difficult; worrying was in his nature just as much as curiosity. And with each day that passed by his concern grew.

Until one day when Dipper and Mabel were walking by the shores and they spotted a ship on the horizon. Not just any ship, a navy ship. And it was heading towards the city's harbor.

"But isn't that normal?" Mabel asked, seeing how puzzled and worried he looked.

"Not really. At least not here. Salus City on not really in any navy route. It's quite a small city and there's nothing important in our surroundings, no castles, no military bases, nothing. In fact, Salus City is located in the middle of two important cities that the navy frequently goes to, so there's really no reason for them to dock here, that's why this city is full of pirates, it's a very good place to port for a few days or weeks."

"But if they're here… What does that mean?"

"I don't know. Nothing. Anything. But Grunkle Stan once said that navy ships usually comes here for only two reasons: when the ship is damaged and here is the closest place they could reach or when they're looking for something. And the thing is, that ship doesn't seem damaged."

"Do you think they could be searching for me?"

"I don't know… It could be it, but it could be only a coincidence. There's no way I can tell from here."

"Dip, don't let them take me away." She pleaded in that soft voice he loved hearing so much and he hated to admit it, but he felt so relieved that she was still asking, with so much conviction, not to go. It reminded him that he had to find a way, and fast, to get a lot of money. He also loved the way she gripped his sleeve while calling him 'Dip'. She didn't call him by that short nickname often, but he liked, that was more intimate.

"Hey, I promised you, remember? No one is taking you anywhere unless you want it. Now let's go back to Stan's place. My dad needs to know about this."

Grabbing her hand, guiding Mabel right behind him, Dipper went back to the shop. He was not going to let anyone take her away; life without her was no longer an option. How could he wake without hearing her cheerful 'good morning' as she tried to cook something? How could he live without looking at her beautiful smile every day? There was no way. He didn't want to be without her.

Meanwhile, Roderick and Stan were walking and drinking rum by the harbor, watching ships come and go; typical pirate stuff to do while on land.

"But really, Stan, I don't know what else to do. It's not like I can get my hands on a lot of money on land. We need some great and wealthy raids and soon."

"Who told you to go and kidnap a princess without much backup gold? If you wanted to keep her for a month the least you could do was prepare yourself."

"I know, I tried, we were going to do this, but then I heard she was getting married. Kidnapping her with a husband would be much more difficult. More guards, more servants… And I was afraid she'd be taken to the other kingdom. I had to act that moment."

"But now she wants to stay."

"We can't say that for sure, you know that. Barely a week and a half has passed. It's all too new for her and she likes it. Wait until she misses her family, her friends, the pampered life she had at the court and we'll see if she'll still want to stay." Roderick said, running a nervous hand through his dark blonde hair. "I wouldn't mind if she really wants to stay, though. The problem, obviously, is money. The crew keeps spending it like there's no tomorrow and if all we have runs down, they'll want to call for the ransom the same day. Gambling at the taverns can only get us so much."

"Come on, that necklace Dipper brought you gave us enough for at least a week. That boy made me so proud, I taught him well. And don't forget the crown she gave you. We got some good money from that too, that thing was covered in diamonds."

"Yes, but one week is not enough, Stan. I need more time." The captain sighed heavily. "Sometimes I wonder if kidnapping her was the right thing to do. She's such a nice girl that I think I don't want to send her away."

"Indeed she is. But don't go too soft on her just because she…" Stan trailed off as he spotted something on the horizon. "Roderick, look at that. Is it a navy ship?"

The young captain turned his chestnut eyes at the direction his uncle was pointing. He was right. It was an official navy ship.

"We need to get back." Roderick informed, worried.

"You know, that might be the answers to your prayers…"

"Are you nuts? That ship is probably looking for Mabel. That son of a bitch of a king probably sent every ship in the navy to look for his daughter."

"Please, Roderick, do you really think he'd do that? We both know the king wouldn't just send everyone searching for her. He's not stupid, if he did that he knows it would bring a lot of problems to the whole kingdom, he can't just send his entire fleet for one mission. Even if it is to save his daughter. Besides, you left him that note, right? He'll wait for news, he has no choice." the old man rationalized. "The point is, if we're lucky, that ship could be transporting treasures from one city to another. Maybe they ran out of supplies and stopped in the first place they could reach. And if they got treasures, you'll be able to keep Mabel for a little longer than originally planned."

"Fate wouldn't be so kind, Stan. I learned that a long time ago. You never get something if you don't lose another in return." As he finished speaking, he felt Stan placing a hand on his shoulder, a silent gesture to tell his nephew he understood his pain.

Long ago, life taught Roderick that he had to fight for what he wants. And even so, fate could take it away at any time.

Both decided to go back home right away just in case. They got there a few minutes after Dipper and Mabel. The younger pirate soon went to speak with his father, the rest following to the living room, and Stan quickly locked the shop for their little reunion.

"Dad, I saw a navy ship docking earlier…"

"I know. We saw it too." Interrupted Roderick.

"Do you think they could be after me?"

"I find that very unlikely, Dear." The retired captain pirate answered the worried princess. "You see, it's not like the king could just send his entire fleet to stop their missions and go look for you. Though I'm not saying he didn't send at least one to do that and that could be it. However, one navy ship finding this city looking for you in so little time is most likely impossible. We're too far from the capitol and it's not a very small city where they'd imagine pirates would hide a person they kidnapped. But they are here and we better know why and if they are transporting treasures."

"If we get our hands on their treasure, if they have any, it's a good thing, right? Then Mabel can stay with us?" Dipper asked, waving his arms, wondering about the subject, praying it would be enough for the crew to be satisfied, at least for a while.

"I don't think it's that simple, Dude…" Replied Soos, sadly.

"Soos is right. Besides, we don't know anything about how much they have or even if they have something." Roderick said. "And I'm not saying she will stay, we talked about it, Son. Mabel, I know you want to stay, but let's wait a little, okay? Why don't you decide it in a month? Just remember that if you really choose to stay, you probably won't see your father, family or friends ever again."

Mabel's eyes fell, she knew that, if she wasn't coming back, she'd never see Candy and Grenda again, or her aunt or father. She would never again see the place she grew up or the portraits of her mother around the palace. She missed it all so much it hurt. But at the same time, she couldn't live there anymore.

The rules, the etiquette, the lack of freedom to just put her special touch in her clothes, the corsets so tight that she could faint in them, the uncomfortable high heels, the suppressions, and everything that made that place her cage were killing her and she just couldn't take it any longer. She couldn't be herself in there. And it was getting worse over the years with the arrangements for her to be the next queen in the nearby future.

She couldn't go back, but that didn't stop her heart from aching in missing it all. Dipper noticed her sadness and he felt as if a wild horse herd suddenly crushed his heart. He hated seeing her so sad, but life without her would be just too painful. It seemed like his father was right, after all. She'd miss it and she'd want to go back.

"Anyway, we kinda need the money. But how can we know for sure if they have something of value or not? And how would we get it?" Robbie questioned, sitting at the table, arms crossed.

"Well, we would need someone to investigate. Maybe overhear something they could say at the tavern. There's a really big one near the harbor where a lot of people go to. The owner is a good friend and he'd be interested in letting someone work there for the night to overhear something. I was thinking, maybe Robbie and Wendy could disguise themselves, they are young and, in the right clothes, don't look like they could be pirates."

"No, wait. I want to go." Mabel interrupted, surprising everyone. "If they somehow find out you're pirates they'll want to kill you. The navy hates the pirates and if they have a chance to kill at least one of them easily like that, I can't risk you both. I can do this. If they're after me, anyway they don't know what I look like, I never met any navigating officers. All they know about me probably is just a description and that is quite common, cute face with chestnut eyes and long hair. I've seen some girls like that around the city. They won't suspect the princess is working in a tavern and even if they do, they won't harm me. I just don't want you guys risking yourselves. I want to help. I want to be able to be a part of your crew."

"I don't know, Mabel. It might be dangerous."

"Please let me be useful. I can't let you do this and just sit around doing nothing."

"Maybe I could go with Mabel, then. I'm still new at piracy; I can disguise myself with her." Dipper suggested, with a shrug. Roderick let out a long sigh and brought his hand to his eyes, thinking over the subject.

"Geez, you two are gonna give me a headache…" The captain mumbled under his breath. "Very well, then. I'm going to talk with the owner of the tavern and get some clothes for you two to work there tonight… Dipper, you're coming with me. Robbie too, I need you both to tell everyone to lay low, it's better for them not to recognize our ship or our crew…"

The three men stood up and left the house quickly. Soos stayed with Stan to help in the shop. Even before they cleared off the dining table, Mabel turned to Wendy with a big victorious, and anxious, smile.

"Come, Wendy, I'm gonna need your help."

"With what?"

"To prepare myself for the disguise. I need someone to help me do something with my hair to look different than usual, I can't change my face, but I can change what's around it. Let's curl it up."

It didn't take too long for the night to settle and Dipper and Mabel started their shift in the tavern. The princess had never worked somewhere like that, in fact, she barely worked in her entire life. She was scared and excited at the same time, but she wouldn't let herself be shaken up by that, she was Mabel after all; yielding was not an option. She'd gotten through that. She could do this. Surely.

Less than an hour after they started working, Dipper saw her nervousness grow the minute the navigating officers entered the tavern. Some sailors from their crew came as well, sitting at another table. But both teens knew that some people were probably keeping the ship safe as well, though Roderick had said that Soos, Wendy and Robbie would investigate near the harbor.

"Hey, it's okay. You can do it." He assured her.

Mabel smiled at Dipper; his confidence in her was something that so few had ever shown. Usually people would just underestimate her for acting silly, even though she was very smart. She loved that about him.

Both were wearing clothes similar the other waiters and waitresses. While the girls were sporting white shirts, a light brown bodices, tight enough to show their feminine curves, though not as tight as the corsets the princess used to wear at the palace, light red long skirts and white aprons in the front. The guys were wearing white shirts and aprons, open brown vests, light red trousers and common shoes. This time, Dipper wasn't sporting his usual black boots; he was wearing very boring brown shoes like everyone else.

"It's show time." She mumbled, holding the empty wooden tray close to her chest.

Mabel looked different, Wendy helped her curl her hair up, which made it look shorter than usual, though it was still long. A pair of braids pulled her long bangs out of the way, meeting each other at the back of her head, leaving only a few curled strands framing her face. She hoped it would be enough not to be associated with the image they could have of the princess, after all, if they never saw her or any portraits, they couldn't recognize her at all.

With a sigh, both started their jobs, waiting at the navigating officers' table. Little did they know, Stan and Roderick were observing it all from afar, very distant and hidden from anyone's sight.

As the navy men sat, Dipper and Mabel began to work, hearing them complain about their duties.

"That last city was so boring. I just wish we can get to our destination soon…" One of them said, he had astonishing green eyes and light blonde hair.

"At least this city has good things to see." Another added looking at the pretty waitress. Mabel just smiled and bit her lower lip in a slightly flirtatious way.

"Should we get some beverages for you, gentlemen?" She asked and they agreed, telling her what they wanted.

While she went to get what they wanted, Dipper excused himself and started cleaning the table as invisibly as he could, aiming to hear their conversation. In fact, it wasn't that difficult to be invisible when Mabel was around. Her cheerfulness and unique beauty was enough to get the attention of pretty much everyone in there as she passed by.

"Anyway…" The one with short curly black hair replied. "You heard the news, right? Some people commenting earlier about the princess, apparently, she was kidnapped by pirates or something." The man then looked at the waiter, cleaning and stuff, he didn't pay much attention at first, but he felt like there was something fishy with that boy.

"Wasn't she about to be wed or something? I heard rumors like that…" The one with the green eyes commented with a shrug.

"Those weren't rumors, stupid. The king arranged a marriage to Prince Gideon." The man with that long dark brown hair tied in a tiny low ponytail replied, he seemed to be the youngest of the group, 18 or so.

"You mean that young prince known as Gleeful Gideon? They say he's awesome and he really cares for his people, always visiting the poorest ones and providing what they need."

"Although they probably didn't even know each other, I bet he'll be a great husband and a good future king."

Dipper already didn't like Gideon. He seemed perfect, for both her and the kingdom. And he didn't like it. Just the thought of someone like that made him shiver in anger. No one would be good enough for his princess. Not even some snobby prince from another realm. And the fact that he could have her that easily hurt the young pirate a lot. He would never be able to give her half of what she deserved, things a powerful future king could easily provide her.

"Yeah, you mean husband if the princess ever returns. We know we can't trust the scum of a pirate. I just hope she's still alive." Offended, the 16-year-old waiter in disguise winced trying to ignore the insults of that arrogant blonde officer.

"Of course she is. Those greedy scum only want money and to get it she has to be alive."

 _She's very well, alive and happy, thank you very much._ Dipper thought sarcastically to himself. He pushed away his feelings the best he could, he couldn't mess this up. And he wouldn't.

That was when Mabel came back with their drinks.

"So, gentlemen, would you like to order your food now?"

"Is there lamb with potatoes?"

"It just happens to be the specialty of the house. But you know, in order to be served fast, as it is custom, I'll need some tips. You seem so important and wealthy, you would have some tips for me, right?"

Dipper's jaw dropped to the ground. Geez, she was good. She went straight to the point, no stalling here. And she was playing her part marvelously. He noticed the blonde guy with the green eyes placing a bold hand on her waist, with a full-of-second-intention smile towards his girl. Okay, maybe she was playing her part a little too well. She could stop the flirting smiles and giggles right about now.

"For you, my dear, anything." Dipper resisted the urge to roll his eyes and spill something on that stupid navy uniform; but he was stronger than that.

"Indeed." The one with the black curly hair agreed. "Why don't you sit with us for a while, Girl? We'd enjoy your company."

"That's a very sweet invitation, but I can't. I have to work. I need the money. Maybe you could help me out a bit, right? Such distinguished men like you working for the king are probably on an important mission around the realm." She praised them, inflating their egos. "Anyway, what brings you here to this little city?"

"You are a curious girl, aren't you?" The man with the dark brown hair in a ponytail noted. By then, the black haired one took another glance at Dipper. He was recognizing the boy from somewhere; he just needed to know where.

"Surely so. But can you blame a humble girl like me for being so impressed by your remarkable presence?" She finished, biting her lips in a flirtatious way. "I'm taking your orders now."

"Sure. And since we're hungry, here's a tip for you." The blonde one said, slipping some coins in her apron pocket. And then she left with a beautiful smile.

Meanwhile, Stan and Roderick were watching everything. They couldn't really hear all that was said, the whole tavern was noisy and full of people, but they could see them and read between the lines.

"Geez, that girl is awfully good! We need her on our crew, don't you agree?" The old uncle asked. But his nephew didn't answer; he just kept silent watching Dipper and Mabel, his mind full of thoughts.

Dipper refilled the men's drinks in silence, just hearing them talk more about boring duties, pretty girls and crowded cities they passed. Suddenly something snapped to the black haired officer; he had finally recognized the boy.

"I know him! I've seen him with pirates earlier he's one of them!" He yelled and grabbed Dipper's arm.

The problem of the waiter disguise was that he didn't have his sword with him, only a hidden dagger he was trying to reach with his left, and free, hand. All of the navy men at the table quickly stood up, drawing their swords. Fighting against only one unarmed young man was way too cowardly and easy, though, that didn't stop them.

Waiting on another table nearby, Mabel looked at him in fear. She knew the navy men would want to kill him on sight, any association with pirates was despicable and she couldn't bear the thought of someone hurting her pirate.

"You don't know who I am. You have no idea." Dipper said trying to break free but keeping a calm façade and a very prideful hint of smile on his lips. He loved to be a pirate like his father and he was proud of it. He managed to reach the handle of his dagger and was preparing to fight. "But I will tell you, I'm-"

However he couldn't continue because Mabel jumped on a table, catching everyone's attention, and yelled at the top of her lungs. She acted before anyone could do anything, even before Roderick and Stan could stand up. The captain would never let them hurt his son, though he didn't have enough time to react, both uncle and nephew just stared awestruck by the girl's boldness. And what she did was really something she didn't want to do, but it was the only thing she could do to stop an imminent fight. Those officers seemed so disgusted by the possibility of Dipper being a pirate she just knew they were about to kill him right then and there, given the chance.

"I'm the missing princess!" Dipper's jaw dropped and all he could do was shake his head as if to tell her not to do this.

That very suspicious officer with the black curly hair laughed and got closer to her, pointing a challenging sword at Mabel, leaving the blond one securing Dipper.

"Ha! You are not gonna fool me, Girl. And if you're working with him and the pirates we might as well just kill you too."

"Well, too bad for you I am who I claim to be." She huffed while knocking the sword away from her by snapping the flat part of it with the back of her hand. "And if you try to lay a hand on me, my father, the _K_ _ing_ , will know and I believe your punishment for hurting his daughter will be worse than your darkest nightmares."

She spoke so fiercely that all of the men gulped, antsy, most of them put their swords back right away while others didn't really know what to do. Speaking like that, even with commoner's outfit, she looked like the princess she claimed to be.

"If you're really the princess, what are you doing here?"

"Unless you're stupid or deaf you already heard news about my kidnapping. Turns out I was being held captive in this city and this boy you were about to punish unduly, had just managed to help me escape and we were laying low so we could search for someone to take me back home. Now, are you the men I'm searching for or should I keep looking?"

"No, Milady. You found what you were looking for." One of them said.

"Great. Now release the boy."

The man holding Dipper let him go immediately and he ignored the pain in his wrist, all he could do was stare in disbelief at the girl he'd grown to love.

"We'll leave soon, Your Royal Highness."

"Good. Help me down." She said to the nearest man who promptly raised a hand to assist her off of the table and to the floor. Dipper gulped and slowly walked until he was in front of her. "Now I must bid farewell to the one who helped me escape." Getting the hint, the navy men backed away to give her some privacy, yet, they weren't stupid, and she wouldn't leave their sight until they received some compensation from the king himself.

"Mabel, you can't do this!" Dipper brought himself to whisper to her. "You have to leave! You have to run away! I can stall them, I don't care what they'll do to me, but I can't let you go with them. I can't let them send you to your cage, you told me it was worse than…"

"I know what I said, Dipper. But I knew they might kill you just then, you saw that they were a bit high from their rum and the despise for pirates. But they won't harm me."

"I know they won't, they'll do something worse and you know it. If you go back you'll have to marry that irritatingly perfect Prince Gideon and…"

"I know. It seems like I just can't escape my fate. But I discovered something even worse than living with a broken spirit."

"And what could that be?" Dipper asked with a raspy voice, not imagining anything like that. Mabel smiled sadly.

"Living in a world without you in it." She sighed heavily so she could hold back the urge to cry; though she felt her eyes weren't wet yet, she knew it would happen any moment now. "You saved me, and now I saved you. We're even."

"Mabel, don't go, please. I can handle them."

"If you had your sword maybe you could. But you don't have it now and I can't risk you getting hurt, or worse, because of me. So it's okay. I really enjoyed my time here. I'll never forget you."

"Please don't! It's not! I-"

"I love you." Her voice was so low she only knew he heard her because he stopped talking to stare at her blankly. He was so surprised he just couldn't react. Everything seemed like a terrible nightmare that he hoped he'd wake up from with her by his side. For a moment, he felt like the world had stopped spinning.

Mabel got up on her tiptoes and lightly kissed his cheek. She wished she could give him a proper goodbye kiss, however, she knew that the navy men were close and watching, kissing him on the lips would only blow their cover.

"I'm ready to go." She announced to the men and walked away, not one of them lost a second going after her like bees following honey. And soon, Dipper was left alone in the tavern, wishing he could have done something. But now, she was gone.

* * *

 **Again, sort it took so long! But I hope you liked this chap!**

 **Please leave me a review! The more I get, the faster I'll update! :D**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	15. 14 - Fighting For It

**Thanks so much for your support and reviews, it means a lot! :D**

 **I know it took a while to finally update, but I've been busy... Sorry...**

 **Anyway, my Beta had been really busy and couldn't edit this chap yet, so I decided to post it sooner rather than later. For those who can't stand reading it if it's not corrected, then I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait for the update. But now, al the previous chaps are now edited, thanks to my beta! :D**

 **And I have a very important announcement! I found out about a Fanfic Contest on Inkitt, and I'm participating with this fic and my previous HTTYD fic! Please, if you like it just a little bit, go and give me points by clicking on the heart for the story. The link to my Inkitt profile is on my profile! :D**

 **Please go and vote for me, that certainly is going to help me a lot! And the voting finishes on Wednesday, 21st, so hurry up! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

 **Fighting for it**

Dipper felt as if his heart was being crushed inside his chest. It was hard to concentrate. The thought of never seeing Mabel again was too difficult to bear. And she did it for him. She said she _loves_ him. And he never even got the chance to say how much he loves her. Suddenly, it was hard to breathe. And he just couldn't help but wonder how someone turned out to be so important to him in so little time. She was special indeed.

This situation needed to be fixed. Dipper needed to do something about it. He needed his father's guidance and help. Taking off his apron and the vest, he quickly left the tavern searching for Roderick.

The captain and his uncle saw everything and they left through the back door right after Mabel left with the navy men. By the time Dipper was out, he could see the harbor and he shape of the officer's uniform around a girl moving towards their ship. He looked around, feeling more lost than ever before, he started running. But he didn't go far, as he found his father in less than two minutes.

"Dad! We need to do something! Th-they took Mabel!"

"I know. We saw everything." The teenager was so desperate he didn't even notice the deep sorrow in his father's voice.

"Wait, what? You were there?" He said sounding like a question.

"Of course I was. Do you really think I'd left you alone in such a dangerous mission? When that bloody officer recognized you, probably from when we came earlier to talk to the owner of the tavern and the crew, I was about to stop them, but Mabel acted first."

"We need to go after her. We need to retrieve and save her!"

"No, we don't. And we won't." Roderick's voice was firm and fierce, like someone who's already made up their mind. Yet, it was full of pain and grief as well. Dipper stomped his foot, fire burning inside his chest.

"What? Why? What about her? What about the precious ransom? She wants to stay, she said so, and you know that!"

"Yes, but for how long, Dipper? You saw she was sad that time I mentioned she'd never see her family again. She misses them. And for the ransom, so what? We can get money in other sources, it's not like we'd get it if she stayed anyway."

"But she doesn't want to go."

"I am thinking about her, son. Stop being so stubborn. It is what's best for her if she just goes now. It will only make it harder if she stays here longer, for her and for us."

"No, it's not. You don't know her like I do. I think there's something going on in the palace. Something wrong." He insisted; he had to insist. He run his hands over his chestnut short and rebel hair. Why was so hard for his father to understand him?

"Okay, then what do you suggest, Dipper? At the navy they're well trained in sword fighting and their sailors probably know very well too, so it's not like we could engage in a battle with just us, it's suicide. We can't just gather up the crew to 'rescue' her because there's no gold involved this time and they wouldn't risk their necks to get nothing in return. And maybe if there were treasures in the ship, we could tell them to get whatever they want, but I don't think you got to know that, right?"

"No, I don't know, it could be empty, but…" The teenager trailed off, nervously. "We gotta do something!"

"What, Dipper?" There was deep sorrow in Roderick's light brown eyes and he almost never called his son by the name, he usually preferred to use 'kid' or 'son', so the he knew his father was serious.

"I don't know…" Dipper's voice cracked sadly.

He had never felt so lost before; usually, he's the guy who knows everything, who knows how and when to do stuff. Not knowing something always bothered him, and right now, this feeling was killing him.

"There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry, son. But it's better this way. She'll be fine with them. Think about that. It is what's best for her." The captain rubbed his eyes tiredly, his voice sad and gloomy. He didn't want her to go either, but he truly believed it was better this way. She'd be safe and sound, back to the ones she loves and back to her perfect princess life. He sighed sadly. "Stan and I'll go back, stay for a while if you want, but come home soon."

Dipper couldn't believe it. How could his father give up on her like that? So the things he said made sense and all, but the captain always said that you have to fight for what you want and believe. It wasn't like him to just give up or give in. What was wrong with him, anyway? And why did he look like his eyes were slightly wetter than usual? No, that last part was just Dipper's imagination.

Stan and Roderick then turned to walk away in sad silence. With a heavy sigh, Dipper made his way back to the tavern, feeling weak and defeated. He had nothing else to do. Giving back the uniform to the owner of the tavern, he put back his normal clothes hidden somewhere in the kitchen with the clothes of the other waiters and waitresses. Including Mabel's.

Her necklace weren't there, though. She never took that thing off, anyway. Mabel was gone. Gone. And he probably would never see her again. It hurts so much he just took the tips he got when working earlier and bought himself a bottle of nice rum and sat down on an empty table.

He poured the liquid on a mug and let it to his mouth, swallowing it. He let out a soft moan from the awful taste, he might be a pirate, but it's not like his father let him drink alcohol very often, so he's not used to the sour taste. He didn't care, though. If he was unable to do anything, to help her, to save her, then, he wanted to forget her. Forget everything. Because if he did so, the pain might diminish over time.

"Come with me, princess. You may have my room until we reach the capitol Alyoth." The navy captain said leading her to his chambers at the back of the ship. "We'll leave as soon as everything is settled."

"Thanks." Mabel said softly with a shadow of a smile on her lips.

The captain then excused himself and went to do his business, saying he'd get proper clothes for her before they departure. She didn't know how long it would take, but it didn't matter. Closing the door, she sighed heavily; her hand reaching for her necklace without she even realized it. When waiting at the tables, she had hidden it under he clothes, but she didn't need to do that anymore.

With a soft sad smile, her legs gave in and she slid down, back to the wooden door. And then her smile fell at the same time her eyes got wet. The fake forced smile was the last barrier she had on, the last thing that was keeping her in one piece. Her heart was squeezed inside her chest; it was so small and so low it was almost like it couldn't work properly. It was hard to breathe. Mabel buried her face on her knees and silently cried.

She knew she'd probably never see her dashing young pirate again. She didn't want that, she loves him. But at the same time, she knew this day would come. The day they'd have to separate from each other. She just hoped it would be later rather than sooner. Not the other way around. At least he is alive and well, that was what left her at ease.

Mabel closed her eyes, picturing him again, not wanting to forget him. She would be chained down once again inside her boring and fancy cage, but at least she'd have the remembrances. She couldn't still be able to dream about being free and going on adventures with her pirate, learning to swordfight and shoot guns while sailing the seven seas.

Even though she new the memories would get blurrier and blurrier over the years, she didn't want to forget any detail. The shade of chestnut hair so similar to hers; the depth of his brown eyes that looked so intensity at her she felt as if he could stare right into her soul; his wonderful winsome smile; that unique manner of his that can be so meek and daring at the same time.

It hurts too much the thought of never seeing him again. Her aching heart beating inside her chest led her to think she couldn't really bear it.

Slowly, she raised her head, wiping the insistent tears off her cheeks. The curtains were partly opened and so the moon was shining upon the room.

She forced her legs to support her and walked to the window, pushing the dark blue curtains. She wants to be alone, not even the moon could see her like that. Mabel was never the martyr kind of person. Every time something bad happens to her she sees the bright side of it. With a heavy sigh, she walked to the bed and sat there.

Suddenly she felt her cheeks getting wet, it was the tears sliding down them, again. It seemed like she just couldn't stop crying. Hiding her face in her hands, she sobbed. Mabel doesn't really do sadness. Not often, at least. Even when the sky is dark with a storm, she can always see the rainbow forming even before the rain starts, so positive she is, always looking at the bright side of everything.

Not this time. Right now, all she wanted to do was cry like a baby so she might be able not to do it when she get back to the palace.

She laid down, promising herself she'd not shed a tear when she got to the place she grew up in.

Dipper stayed in the tavern for a while, drinking that mug of rum. Part of him wanted to be alone, the other part just wanted someone to talk to and try making him turn to his normal self again. So he didn't know if he was relived or not when Soos, Wendy and even Robbie found him sitting there.

"Dipper, what happened? We saw Mabel being taken by those officers in their ship, what's going on?" The red haired girl asked, her forest green eyes full of concern and confusion. The boy sighed.

"One of the officers recognized me being a pirate. I don't know how, maybe he saw me earlier with the clothes, walking with my father and talking with the crew and stuff. And then she revealed herself to save me. Pretty pathetic, right?" He finished with bitter sarcasm.

"You bet!" Retorted Robbie who was soon elbowed by his girlfriend. "I mean, sorry…"

"Anyway, Dipper, is that rum? You know your father says you're too young for that."

"Robbie started when he was 15. I'm 16, remember?"

Anyway, Dipper never really understand why his father was so overprotective of him with this kind of stuff, yet he always told him he has to be strong and that pirates improvised and stuff like that. He guessed it was probably because Roderick still sees him as his little boy, which was a bit frustrating. But Dipper actually couldn't care less about it at that moment.

"I'm just saying." Mumbled Wendy. "Anyway, what are we gonna do? Roderick needs to know, we should-"

"He knows." Dipper rudely interrupted her. His tone was matter-of-factly. "He saw everything. And he told me there's nothing we can do."

"But, Dip…" She lowered her tone, sitting next him. "I thought you liked her."

"It doesn't matter."

Soos and Wendy exchanged meaningful looks for a second or two and then the older man cleared his throat and sat down as well near the teenage boy.

The chubby one rubbed his neck, which wasn't covered by his usual bandana pirate. In fact, the three of them weren't using their normal pirate outfits, since they found out the navy was in town, they put on some less outstanding clothes, more peasant-like.

"Hey, dude, didn't you say once that you think something's wrong in the palace? Have you ever found out what it is?"

"No, Soos. I guess this is a mystery I'll never solve." The boy mumbled annoyed and sorrow. "It was probably not something that bad anyway…"

"Okay, who are you and what did you do with my friend?" Wendy asked. "Come on, you're not like that, Dipper. You don't want her to go, so let's just do something!"

"What can we do, Wendy? I can't just go and engage them in a fight, there's a lot of them it'd be suicide and even though I'd like to try it, if they kill me then her sacrifice will be for nothing and I can't do that to her."

"You're not alone, Dipper. You have us, your friends."

"Hum, I'm not really his friend." Robbie interrupted, though he quickly gulped and continued as Wendy glared deadly daggers at him over her shoulder. "But, I'm in…"

"Besides, you know what your father always says, right? A person that won't fight for what he wants…"

"Deserves what he gets. Yeah, I know." The younger finished the phrase for her, looking at the contents of his mug going from side to side as he swung it around in circles.

"He actually says 'man' instead of 'person', but I'm a girl and that works for me as well."

"There's nothing I can do, Wendy."

"Well, then, you're already resigned and gave up, there's nothing I can do."

"It's not like that. I don't want her to go, but it's not like we could fight them. It's not only stupid, it's suicidal and you know it."

"I never said we should engage on a fight with them."

"Dude, wouldn't it be cool if you did one of those list-y-stuff like you always do?"

"You mean a plan?"

"Yeah, dude. Who knows, maybe we could retrieve her without fighting them, right?"

Something suddenly sparkled inside Dipper's mind and his eyes widened. "Soos, you're a genius!"

"I knew my grandma was right! Wait, why am I a genius?"

"You just gave me a brilliant idea! But I'm gonna need some help."

"You already got it, Dip."

"Great. Wendy, I need you to tell the crew to get ready immediately. We're gonna set ail in about an hour. Tell them it was the captain's order. But you're only gonna let my dad knows in exactly one hour. And for the three of us, well, we need to get ourselves some sailor's outfits. We're gonna disguise ourselves and enter in that ship."

"And how do you expect we leave the ship with her? It's not like they'd just let her leave. She's probably guarded. And I'm not risking my neck around here." Robbie complained.

"Leave that to me. Now, pay attention. I'll explain you my plan."

Wendy was nervous. She didn't really want to do that part of the plan, though Dipper's reasons for her to do it were right. A girl as sailor would call too much attention even though she is a tough girl, besides, Roderick has a soft spot for women, and Dipper knew it. The probability of Roderick getting a little less outraged with her giving him the news were higher than if Robbie or Soos did it.

She looked at her pocket watch. It was set the exact same time as Dipper's. Only one minute left now. The second hand ticked quickly and her heart pounded faster each time the watch ticked. Finally, the second hand reached 12. She took a deep breath.

"Okay, it's now or never." Whispered her to no one in particular before she barged into Stan's house, calling for the captain.

"What is it, Wendy?" Roderick asked worried, following her nervous voice.

"So, captain, I need to tell you something…"

"Just say it, girl."

"Dipper went after Mabel."

" _What_?" Hissed the captain suddenly changing his mood to sad resigned and slightly worried to outraged concern in a matter of seconds. "You're joking, right? Dipper would never disobey me."

"Soos and Robbie are with him right about now in the navy's ship."

Roderick huffed excruciating angry and deeply distressed. His son was going to get himself killed like that. And Roderick couldn't take it. He'd have to save his son. And then, he'd ground and punish him so hard he'd never even think about disobeying his father's orders again.

"Shit. We need to go. Now. Get everyone from our crew, we need to save his sorry ass."

"Everyone is already united at your ship, captain. Just waiting for you to set sail."

"We can not set sail now, Wendy. We need to… Wait, why everyone is there?"

Wendy took a deep breath. Here comes another bomb. A very catastrophic one.

"Because I told them to. We need to set sail…" She looked at her watch again. "Right about now for his plan to work. That's how we're gonna save them."

"You were just waiting outside, weren't you?" He asked calmly and slowly, but the pirate girl could see beneath it, he was on the verge of exploding in anger.

"Yes… Please don't hate me sir. I'm Dipper's friend and I believe in him and his plan. It will work. I'll accept your punishment later. Right now, we need to go."

Roderick huffed angrily and turned to his uncle who was behind him, hearing the whole conversation trying not to laugh too hysterically.

"See you next time, Stan."

And then the captain left the house, shutting the door and running after the red haired girl to the harbor.

Meanwhile, Robbie, Soos and Dipper were inside the officer's ship, dressed as sailors. Though luckily, there wasn't any navy officer around, just the sailors. Which, they were taking care of. All it took were a few bottles of rum and wine and they didn't even bother to ask or be suspicious in why they never saw the three men before on the ship.

The navy ship was about the same size of the Roderick's, however, the pirate ship had one more floor than this one. Dipper is no fool, so he put something in the drinks that just happened to help the sailors sleep quite quickly. The officers were out of the ship, having some last things ready so they could go, little did they know, the ones guarding the ship were now fast asleep and the main deck was full of laying drunken men.

Dipper looked at his pocket watch. The time has come.

"Let's go, guys, they won't be sleeping for long."

"Hello, _toddler_ , we gotta find the princess first!"

"Robbie, don't be stupid. She's a princess, the only place good enough for her to stay would be the captain's cabin. Obviously."

"So, what are we gonna do now, dude?"

"Stay here and watch out for the officers, they're probably coming soon, I'll go get her and then we leave."

Both nodded while Dipper run to the officer's quarters, searching for Mabel. He wouldn't dare make too much noise, just in case someone else was in there. The corridor was a bit longer than the one in his father's ship and there were more doors. But the last one just had to be the captain's; it was the biggest room, after all.

Standing in front of the last door, the young pirate took a deep breath. He had no way to be sure about it, but something inside him just screamed his princess was on the other side of that wooden board. However, if there were any chance that the captain was in there he'd be pretty much screwed. But she was worth it, so he just barged in.

Mabel jumped and yelped in surprise, sitting up immediately. Surprised, she turned her puffy red eyes to the door. He knew she had been crying, in fact, he was almost doing it himself earlier. But it was in that moment that he was sure something back in the palace was wrong because that was the moment he realized that every time she saw her about to cry or crying was when she was faced to the possibility of going back.

Mabel didn't show she was about to cry when she missed her friends and family. She didn't shed a tear when Robbie attacked her or when she couldn't even sleep so afraid she was. But it was just mention the possibility of her having to go back and her eyes would water. Even though this time she wasn't crying just because she was coming back, it was also because she thought she'd never see her pirate again.

"Dipper!" Mabel jumped up and out of the bed. "What are you doing here?"

His lips curved up into a sexy playful smile.

"Getting you out of here, of course. You didn't think I'd let you go especially after you told me, right? Besides, I promised you, remember? I won't let anyone take you away from me."

"But it's dangerous!"

"Yeah, I know. It was worth it. Now, come with me." She gladly accepted his extended hand and then Dipper pulled her out of there.

Both walked silently but quickly out of the officer's quarters' corridor to the main deck, finding Soos and Robbie already waiting for them with concerned expressions in their faces.

"We have to go now! The navy officials are coming back!" Announced Soos.

"We gotta leave before those idiots spot us!" Dipper nodded at Robbie obvious remark and then he looked his pocket watch. Everything had to be perfectly synchronized.

"Let's go."

Instead of running to the harbor where the ship has been docked, Dipper pulled Mabel upstairs to the sterncastle. Soos and Robbie followed without question. They knew what the young second in command had in mind, but she didn't.

"Shouldn't we be going to the opposite way?"

"Nope."

"We're doing something crazy. Very crazy. Almost suicidal. I really don't know what that guy has in his brain…" Mumbled Robbie annoyed. They went up the stairs again, where the navy's navigation room probably was.

On the floor near the taffrail, a sac was left hiding some stuff they'd need. The black haired man kneeled and started taking things off the sac, complaining under his breath.

Dipper looked to his left side, since the navy ship was docked in the edge of the harbor, the sterncastle was nearest the open sea. Coming in rapid speed from south, the youngest pirate saw that very familiar ship heading north. And the trajectory of his father's ship would pass very near the sterncastle they were standing in.

Robbie stood up, with grappling hooks on his hands. Mabel looked at it and then turned to the fast ship going towards north.

"We're not doing what I think we're going to do, right?" The familiar pirate ship was getting nearer and nearer.

"Of course we are. And if we die, I'll kill Dipper for dragging me into this."

"Technically, you can't really kill what's already dead. Especially if you're dead as well." Dipper corrected methodically.

"Wait, you're kidding me, right? We're jumping inside a moving pirate ship? From here?"

"Hum… Yeah…" Mumbled Dipper cursing himself, he never gets her, does he? Somehow she manages to always do exactly the opposite of what he thinks she's gonna do or say. He imagined Mabel would be at least a little bit thrilled to the crazy dangerous idea. After all, that girl has no self-preservation.

"Are you insane? You probably are, but that just got to be the _best_ idea e-v-e-r!" She said so excited she was about to start jumping as she grabbed a grappling hook; use that tool the first time when she entered the ship for the first time was awesome and she was dying for another opportunity to use that again. Dipper smiled widely, so, maybe, he wasn't that out of sync after all.

"Okay, it's official; this girl is nuts." Robbie announced rolling his deep dark blue eyes.

"Come on, dude, it is a good plan and we won't have to walk all the way in the harbor, so we won't be spotted by anyone." Defended Soos.

By then, the ship was finally close enough. In fact, the pirate ship was so close it was almost brushing against the navy one. Robbie was the first to throw his grappling hook, hooking it to the main mast, right where a wooden column that secures the base of the last sail. And then, the young man jumped, landing gracefully on the pirate's ship main deck.

Soos soon followed him, throwing his own grappling hook around the same place Robbie did. Surprisingly, even though the chubby man has the tendency of being a little clumsy, he landed just as gracefully.

The pirate ship was passing and the gap they had to jump inside was quickly closing at the same time they could hear the navigating officers yell someone was taking the princess while running inside their ship. Mabel didn't even stop to look at them, she just threw the grappling hook in her hands around the same place they did, pulling it to see if it was tightly secured.

"Dip, we need to go now!"

* * *

 **So, I hope you all liked it! BTW, you didn't think Dipper would let Mabel go that easily, did you?**

 **Please don't forget to leave a review for me and please go to my Inkitt profile so you can like the story there, too!** **And the voting finishes on Wednesday, 21st, so hurry up! :D**

 **Thanks so much for your support, it means a lot to me! :D**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	16. 15 - True Feelings

**Thanks so much for your support and reviews, it means a lot! :D**

 **Again, I know it took a while to finally update, but I've been busy... Sorry...**

 **Anyway, my Beta had been really busy lately and couldn't edit this chap yet as well, so I decided to post it sooner rather than later. For those who can't stand reading it if it's not corrected, then I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait for the update.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

 **True Feelings**

"Dip, we need to go, now!"

She announced as the officers started shooting at them. Hearing the gunshots, Dipper quickly tried to hold her as if to act like a human shield, grabbing the rope at the same time. Both stepped over the taffrail and then jumped inside the ship in the nick of time.

Both didn't get to land gracefully, in fact, they stumbled against the wooden floor, falling on it. And it's not like Dipper didn't train enough, he would be able to step on the deck silently as a cat, but it was hard to do it when he wasn't alone on the rope. After the loud thud their bodies made while collapsing to the ground, they could still hear the gunshots and the officers' swears to the pirates. It didn't last long, though, since the pirate ship was already far away.

As they collided, Roderick quickly turned the helm, making the whole ship turn left and towards the open sea while he tried to protect himself from the gunshots at the same time. Wendy was near the captain, covering herself under the wooden taffrail and shooting eventually at the navy with both hers and Roderick's gun.

By the time the navy officers decided to use their cannons against them or try and go after them, the pirate ship was already out of range and too far away to be followed, since the navy ship would have to undock first. The pirate ship was finally out of peril.

"Are you okay?" Dipper asked panting and laying on the floor, his heart racing from the entire situation they just gone through.

"Yeah. You?" Mable asked sitting up with him, her smile as wide and beautiful as ever. He smiled back and nodded. But then her face fell suddenly serious. "That was awfully dangerous you freak! If they caught you, you could have been killed."

"I know, you don't need to lecture me, I'm pretty sure my dad will do it in a minute or so…"

"But… I'm glad you did." Just like that, she hugged him so suddenly and so tightly that he almost fell back down. Dipper was so surprised it took him a while to finally react and embrace her and when he did, he did it so awkwardly it looked like he had never been hugged by a girl before. "Thanks." Her low whisper in his ears made him shiver and want to hug her even tighter. However, she backed away, quickly standing up.

Sitting on the floor, Dipper saw Mabel going to hug Soos, expressing her gratitude, but saying they shouldn't have risked themselves so much for her. Soos smiled and huffed her hair the minute she released him.

While she adjusted her hair back in place, she turned to Robbie, who just crossed his arms saying he didn't want to be touched. Of course Mabel ignored it completely and just hugged him anyway. Robbie humphed and rolled his dark blue orbs, but he didn't pull her away nor returned the embrace. It lasted for some seconds until she let him go and he just walked away pretending to be more annoyed than he actually was.

Curiously, she looked behind. The shape of the land could barely be seen so far they were. Not only the pirate ship was fast, they had the wind blowing towards open sea, what made them go much faster. Soon she wouldn't be able to see anything anymore even if there were still daylight.

That was when Roderick went down the sterncastle with a very unfriendly face. Mabel gulped never seeing the captain so mad before, except for when Robbie almost killed her, of course. She knows he is highly respected by everyone from the crew and he never had to impose himself in front of her, though she knows he can be quite dangerous when he wants or needs to. But now he was just deeply enraged. He wasn't looking at her, though.

Roderick stopped in front of Dipper and the boy took a deep breath, but he did not yield, instead he just kept confident and serious.

"You disobeyed me." It was a statement, but it sounded like an accusation. And it probably was a little bit of both, anyway.

"I know. I'm sorry. But please don't blame Wendy, Soos or Robbie, sir. They did it on my account, it wasn't their fault and I'm ready for any punishment you find appropriate."

The captain knows his son is mature for his age; he had always been, but never that much, Dipper didn't even flinch when his father looked at him with such ferocity. He wondered what changed his son, and that thought started softening his expression.

Roderick sighed frustrated. At the same time he has to punish his second in command's disobedience, he noticed something important. His son was right, something was wrong at the palace. He didn't know how he could tell, but Mabel's reaction just screamed she had been desperate for a moment there. However it could have been the fact they both could have been killed if the officers had a better aim.

"Well, it is late, and you're staying for tonight's watch, the entire night, just to begin with your penalty. I'll think of more stuff for you to do tomorrow. Though I can't say I'm not glad Mabel is here, too." The captain said taking a quick at the princess he was already finding himself fond of. "Soos, be up at six sharp to take Dipper's place."

"Aye, captain." The chubby man agreed and retracted back to his quarters, he'd need to sleep very early in order to wake before dawn. Others soon followed him, leaving the main deck almost empty.

Before Dipper started his vigil shift, he got enough time to change that hideous sailor disguise to his normal pirate clothes he still kept in his father's cabin. Luckily, in his former quarters there was still some of the clothes he and his father prepared for Mabel, since they ran away in such sort notice, they left almost everything back in Stan's place.

When Dipper took off the shirt, he noticed there was blood in his right arm. Not much, thankfully. With all the adrenaline and stuff, he didn't see his white shirt was slightly stained with the red liquid. And probably no one had time to look at it twice before. He wiped it off and saw that the right sleeve was cut; he guessed it was probably one of the gunshots.

He sighed thanking the Gods it was nothing serious, but just to be on the safe side, he checked his whole body for any other possible scratch like that. He guessed not, since he wasn't feeling anything else and now his arm was hurting sharply.

Dipper got one of his father's bottles of rum and poured just a bit on the wound, to sterilize it. Wincing from the unpleasant strong tingle, he quickly got a clean white cloth and somehow managed to wrap it around the cut. Ten minutes later, he was ready. Using his spare dark brown leather boots, dark blue pants, gray shirt, black vest, the usual belt that kept his sword in place and his favorite black overcoat, he was out of the cabin to start his shift.

The captain explained the route he wanted to go and where before he went down his chambers, leaving him alone to control the ship for the night. Once again, he sighed looking at the dark sea and sky almost mixing each other over the horizon.

There weren't too many clouds, so the moon and stars were providing a very good source of light, even though it was still very dark with no lamp around him. He liked it better that way, when there was too much light near him, it'd be difficult to see ahead of the ship.

Lost in thoughts, it took him a while to notice he was not alone in the main deck. The shape of a woman could be seen near ne forecastle, leaning over the taffrail, resting her elbows on it. He didn't need to look twice or try to guess who was it; he could recognize Mabel with his eyes closed even if she's miles away.

He locked the helm in place with a rope and made his way towards her. Roderick doesn't like to leave the helm unmanned for long, but since he'd be close, it wouldn't be a problem.

"Hey, _princess_. You should be sleeping now. It's late." He said with a slightly mocking tone especially on the 'princess' part, just to play a little like the way he used to do when she just arrived at their ship.

"Sleep is for the weak." She joked though her joke-tone was not natural. It seemed like she was forcing it a bit. Part of her was feeling awkward and embarrassed in being next to him; after all, she did say the L word to Dipper when she left with the navy men. The other part was just sad. "Why did you do that?"

"What?"

"Go against your father's obvious orders to drag me out of there. I though Roderick at least knew about that, but from what he said, he had no clue of what you were planning…" She turned to face him with concern in her beautiful deep chestnut eyes, her cheeks were a bit redder than usual, he couldn't tell it was from embarrassment or from the cold night, but it just made she looks prettier. Her hair was almost back to normal, not curly anymore, swinging with the wind and she was still using her waitress outfit since she left without even having time to change it. "Why did you do that?" Repeated her.

"Remember what you said in the tavern before you left?"

Suddenly, her cheeks got even redder.

"Duh, of course, oh paranoid one." And then she lightly slapped his right arm; even though it hurt for being so close to his cut, he managed not to wince. "Now stop trying to make me blush, I don't really do blushing."

"Did you mean it?"

"I sense you're deviating from the subject in the matter around here…"

"Just answer, it's important."

He gulped not really wanting to ask it like that, but he needed to know her response. He needed to know if she was sure about that, he didn't want to drag her into it without being sure. For him, there was no turning back, he was madly in love with her and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"You silly. A girl would never say something like that without meaning it."

And it's true. She meant that. She loves him, with all her heart. Dipper makes she feel things she never felt before, like the tingling sensation in her heart whenever he touches her; or how free yet safe she feels when she's around him. And although they knew each other for a short period of time, she knew in her heart she could be her silly self and he'd always accept and respect her, he'd always be by her side.

Yes, indeed she loves him, and she wants to spend as much time with him she can. More than ever, she wants to stay as far as she could be from the castle's walls. How could a guy as amazing as him like a girl like her? She gulped.

"Good. Because I love you too." Her eyes widened in surprise. "You turned my entire word upside down, Mabel. I couldn't just let you go like that. Besides, I promised you, remember? I promised you'd be safe, I promised that I wouldn't let anyone take you away and so you're not coming back to the palace until you want to go."

Dipper was a little taken aback as he realized how important she is to him. Mabel suddenly turned to be his source of strength, his reason to move forward. He felt like he could do anything for her. And that feeling was amazing. There was no reason not to love her.

"You do?" Her voice was low and soft. Dipper nodded. "But I'm a princess… How do like me? I thought you find royalty people annoying and snobblish…"

"Actually, it's snobbish, but yeah, I used to think that. That was before I met you, though."

"I know the correct word; I just wanted to make it sound cooler." She couldn't help herself, she had to joke about something or her heart might as well explode from beating too fast.

"But you know; I'm just a pirate. I won't be able to provide you half the things or the comfort you had at the palace."

"Why don't you let _me_ decide what I want?"

"And what would you want?"

Dipper asked getting closer, wishing he could give her the world. She was everything for him and he wanted to show her how important she is. It was a bit funny, though, how she managed to turn into the center of his world in about two weeks. It was a short while, yet it seemed like a lifetime. Mabel smiled.

"I want you."

"I can't give you what's already yours." Dipper gulped as his heart raced a marathon per second inside his chest as he was trying hard to sound seductive.

He had never been the kind of guy that knows how to deal well with girls; unlike his father who just has a way with the ladies, though he guessed and hoped he turned like that over time in piracy. Therefore, slipping his hands from her waist to her back was rather a bold thing to do for him. She placed her hands on his vest and pulled him closer, biting her lips to prevent her from smiling too much.

"Then kiss me."

And just like that she pulled him in just a little bit more, not that he wasn't already leaning in, anyway. Both closed their eyes as they ended the short centimeters that separated them. The kiss started soft and shy, but they quickly began to deepen it.

They just kept pressing their lips at first until their lips gradually began to move, spreading one after the other in perfect harmony, just feeling that awesome tingly sensation each time their lips got apart for fractions of seconds between movements.

Dipper didn't know what he did, but he knew he was doing it right by the soft moan he heard coming from the back of her throat. He liked it and he wanted to do this again, so he kept softly moving his lips against hers. But Mabel didn't want to stay behind, she also experimented the moving thing, soon being bold enough to try and open a little bit more her lips, as an invitation. Meanwhile she pulled him even closer by his vest before she wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hug him.

He was no fool and took her invitation seriously. He dragged her against him with a daring lug full of passion that made her yelp against his mouth and he smiled. She drove him even crazier as she lightly brushed her fingers on the back of his neck, making his whole body tingle and shiver, craving for her.

He was losing control and began to gently slide his tongue in her mouth, exploring it and kissing her harder. She did the same and their tongues began dancing against each other in an unbelievable way. It felt like paradise for forever until they finally separated, gasping for air as both hearts beat in synchrony to the moon and back again. For sure none of them felt something as intense before in their lives.

"I was dying to do this since the last time I kissed you." His voice cracked just a bit and he had a smile in his lips. It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about, so lost in the deep sensations.

"Wait, since that day I almost escaped?"

"Exactly. You got me addicted on you since then." And now even more addicted after that kiss.

"I want to stay here with you, Dip." He smiled genuinely happy. He was so joyful it seemed like a dream he feared he could just wake up from with her long gone. His apprehension didn't take his smile away but it did make him hold her tighter against him. Dipper leaned again and kissed her one more time, the kiss was shorter this time, though.

"I'd never let you go, Mabel."

She felt her heart loop inside her chest. It is exactly what she wants, to be with him for as long as she can live. She looked deep inside his dazzling eyes, trusting him completely.

"Really?" She had a smile on her lips, though her eyes were slightly watery.

"Definitely." As he raised his hands to brush her hair away from her face, he finally noticed how cold her porcelain-like skin felt. "Geez, you're freezing. And of course you're freezing, you're wearing only this waitress clothing. Where is your cloak? Wait, it's probably at Grunkle Stan's place, right? Geez, I'm so stupid. You probably have like just a spare set of clothing in here. Don't worry, I'll fix it." He said everything almost in one breath, and then he looked around at the distant sea. There was nothing on sight; however, he should not leave the wheel unmanned like that. "Just hold the helm for a minute; I'll be back as soon as I can."

Mabel looked to the sides, trying to understand what had just happened while he disappeared into the officer's quarters' corridor. She did what he asked nonetheless and just made her way upstairs to the sterncastle to hold the steering wheel of the ship.

Meanwhile, Dipper walked to the last door of the corridor, to the captain's chambers. Silently, he opened the door and entered. All of his stuff was still there, since he'd only get his cabin back after the month finishes and if they send Mabel back to the palace. He would not let that happen, though.

And even so Dipper was feeling rather exited for that amazing kiss; looking at his father's sleeping form kinda brought him down to earth, because it reminded him of the problems he has yet to solve so he could stay with Mabel. Resolved to work this out, he went to the drawer, that was a much bigger one than he has in his room Mabel was using and retrieved a dark brown overcoat he barely uses and then left.

Quickly marching up the stairs, he finally found the girl behind the helm and tried to place the coat over her shoulders in a gallant way, but he failed miserably, doing in it in an awkward way instead. Mabel smiled, finding him adorably dorky, and she likes that about him. She put the sleeves on and felt much better as the additional layer sheltered her from the cold wind.

"Don't worry, it is clean and you can use it whenever you want. Tomorrow Wendy can lend you some clothes; I just don't want to wake her up now. And the first thing I'm gonna do when we land is to get some clothes for you and maybe a new cloak, you can just choose wherever you want."

"Thanks. I like it, it's a bit big, but quite cozy." She said adjusting it around her. "And where are we going? It's not like we can go back to Salus City, right?"

"We'll come back to Salus City later. The navy will never know we'd head back to that place after what happened. But for now, obviously we can't go back. Instead, we're heading to Anwril. It's a really big merchant city west from here. It will be a good place for us to disguise the ship and pretend we're merchants passing by. We're staying there just for the day, if the wind keeps blowing like that, we'll get there in a bout two days in the morning and we'll be going out the same night. We're just staying long enough to get some supplies to journey, since we left in such a hurry, we don't have much in here."

"West? It's not within my father's boundaries then."

"Not, it's not."

"That's so nice! I've always wanted to see another country!"

He smiled at her excitement and once again he tried to tame her long hair that was just swinging wildly because of the wind. He liked to do that, it is such an intimate touch that just gives him the perfect excuse to slip his hand behind her neck and position her to yet another kiss.

Before he let himself lose his mind again, he managed to control himself and stop. Besides, there was another thing he needed to talk to her about. Dipper shifted nervously from side to side, thinking about how he should began. While his mind was running a mile per second, she was holding the wheel, looking ahead and seeming so happy that he was humming a song. So he just did what his guts were telling him to do, which was to embrace her from behind, looking at the dark horizon like her.

"Hey, Dip, am I doing it right? I mean, I don't want us to end up in the other side of the world because I couldn't point the ship in the right direction."

"Don't worry, if you weren't doing it right, I'd have corrected. You know, I've been there many times before, so I really know how to go there. It's probably one of my father's favorites places to go and stay for a while after Salus City." He told her, resting his chin on her shoulder. Even though he just managed to tell her his feelings, it was just easy to be this close to her; it felt right and natural, like they were always supposed to be like that. "Hum, Mabel, I don't want to nag or anything, but weren't you supposed to be in bed by now? You should rest."

"Nah. I'd rather be with you. Besides, you got punished because of me."

"It wasn't because of you." She eyed him skeptically "Okay, maybe it was somehow because of you, but it is on me. I chose to go after you; I chose to disobey by dad's orders. That was on me, not you. And I'd do that over and over again just to be with you. So don't you dare feel guilty, okay?"

"Okay, but don't you want some company through the night?"

"Of course I want."

"Then there's no problem. Besides, I can just sleep tomorrow morning, I'm not sure if you'll have the same luck."

He chocked out a laugh.

"Indeed."

They kept silent for a few moments, but it was a confortable one. Dipper took a deep breath; it was now or never.

"Mabel, I think we should keep this a secret…"

"Say what?" Her head tilted to the side and her eyes squeezed for a second or two before she turned to look at his face on her right shoulder. She couldn't see much, but she noticed he was serious.

"This. You know, _us_."

"I don't understand… Why? What's wrong with us being together? Although we don't even know exactly what is going on between us…"

"Nothing's wrong. Except for the thing that nothing is settled yet. I mean, the crew still thinks we're going to get your ransom."

"Then let's tell them I'm staying."

"It's not that simple, Mabel. It is a pirate crew, you know… At the same time there are really nice people like Soos, there are people there aren't like that also. People that only cares about money and the thing is, our reserves are running down and soon we'll be with nothing. We need to get more money and soon so they won't think about sending you back because the minute our money is over is the minute they'll try to do it, even if it means a riot."

"A riot? But everyone respects your father so much." She turned to face him with a raised eyebrow.

He had to stop leaning on her and straight up his back as she did so. Facing him, she left the helm, however, it wouldn't just turn out of nothing and Dipper could keep an eye in front of the ship behind her. He was not looking over her shoulder, though. Instead, he was looking deep into her chestnut eyes and cupping her face with his hands.

"But if he gets on their way of easy money when they have nothing else, they'll try to do something. Might not get to a riot, but it is possible. The thing is, if they have another source of money, they'll be satisfied and eventually, they'll let it go. But until then, until I find some other way to support the crew and until they forget about asking your ransom, the best thing is for them not to know we're together, therefore not knowing you want to stay."

"I don't really like deceiving people like that…"

"I knew you'd say that. And believe me, I don't like it either. But I want to protect you. And the safest way to do that will be for the crew not knowing about anything. At least for a while."

"Okay. I understand. But, from everyone? Even your father?"

"If there's one thing besides piracy stuff my Grunkle Stan taught me is how to keep a secret. And he used to say that the only way two can keep a secret is if one of them is dead. Since that's thankfully not going to happen any time soon, we already have two in it. It won't be long until someone else finds out. So for now, I'm not telling anyone. Not even my dad."

"You know, if we're keeping this a secret… it means we won't be able to kiss in front of anyone else…"

"Yeah, that's right."

"So maybe we should enjoy while there's no one around here…"

He smiled as he finally realized where she was meaning with that flirtatious smile while running her fingers on the shirt and vest over his chest.

"Indeed, my lady."

"Then let's get to it, my lord Dippton."

And so she pulled him again into another kiss by the vest while he embraced her waist. It was hard to keep an eye on the route and the horizon for other ships, but it was definitely the best time he stayed for the entire night watch in forever.

He used to hate staying up the entire night; it was hard to sleep with the bright sunlight the next day. But he wouldn't mind staying for the rest of the nights watch to come if it means he could have the girl of his dreams in his arms. And for the first time, the dawn came quickly.

She went down to her quarters just before the sun rose, a few minutes later, Soos came to take his shift. Dipper left his friend to lead the helm, soon the entire crew would be up and working. When the young pirate couldn't keep his eyes from closing anymore, he finally laid down on his mattress and dozed off.

The sun was up high in the blue sky, shining upon the main deck, it was probably midday or so, yet, it wasn't really hot because of the cold northern wind.

"Okay so I've already cleaned all the cannons. Twice. Just as you asked. Is that all? May I go back to sleep now, captain?" If his slurred voice weren't enough to show how exhausted he felt the black rings beneath his eyes would be. His father woke him three hours later after he laid down to sleep.

"Far from that. But you may rest. You're going to wash all the dishes after lunch, which will be soon."

Dipper sighed and mumbled, but he wouldn't dare complain. Too tired to go anywhere else, he just sat down near his father at the helm, supporting his back on the taffrail around the sterncastle. His eyes started shutting down automatically and he yawned once or twice while rubbing his eyelids.

There were a few men working below on the main deck, Roderick observed them and the deep blue sea ahead. There was no ship on sight and by then he was feeling relieved that the navy really didn't follow them. They couldn't have, and they were too late anyway.

"Kid, where is Mabel?"

"Don't know, maybe with Wendy or in her room." Dipper was proud that his voice didn't sound as nervous as he felt. He didn't want to give hints that they spend the entire night together, even though they didn't do anything beyond kissing. Actually, he wanted to share it with his father, he wanted to tell him he finally found _the_ girl, but he knew he couldn't do this just yet.

Roderick nodded in silence. Nothing but the sound of men working, the seawater hitting the wooden ship and the wind blowing could be heard. Roderick tied the wheel with a rope; the captain doesn't like leaving the helm unmanned, but he was not going to leave the sterncastle anyway; he just needed to walk a little. Stay still in the same place for too long was not only exhausting, it was irritating as well.

Then the man slowly walked near his son, leaning on the taffrail to just stare at the distance. Dipper noticed his father's proximity, but he didn't dare open his eyes, he just kept lightly rubbing it.

"What you did was stupidly dangerous, Son."

"Dad, I barely had 3 hours sleep, you've got to be more specific than that."

Roderick sighed annoyed. "That suicidal rescue mission."

"Oh, that…Yeah, I know…" He mumbled to himself, though he didn't regret it at all. "I just couldn't leave her, dad… I know you don't believe me, but I know something's up at the palace."

"No. I actually do."

"You do what?"

"Believe you. I can't explain how, but when I saw how happy Mabel was when she came back with you… Well, I guess I saw something in there. It was almost as she was feeling comfortable here, maybe even…"

"Safe." Dipper completed, glancing up. His father nodded before looking down. They exchanged glances for a second or two.

"And if she's feeling safe around pirates… Well, something must be wrong. So I guess you're right. And although what you did was stupid, it was well thought out at the same time. I have to punish you for disobeying my direct orders and for leading people into it, however, as your father, I can't blame you for going after what you believe, especially when I always told you that you should fight for what you want."

"So, you agree that we can't send her back, right?"

"Not until I know it is safe."

"Or until she wants it, right?"

He had to ask. Dipper knows she doesn't want to go back, so if she never wants to, she'd never have to go. His father sighed and Dipper just knew his father was not completely convinced about that.

"Yeah. I guess it would be nice if she stayed."

"Come on, dad. She's different from normal royalty. Maybe she really does want to stay. Have you ever considered that?"

Roderick took a moment to think about the subject.

"Actually, I did." That statement was surprising.

"You… did?" He couldn't hide the hopefulness in his voice. Maybe his father was finally starting to understand and see what Dipper did from the beginning. Mabel is different, unique and she has a reason not to get back.

"I did, but that's not the point. The point is to discover just what happened in the palace."

"Or what is happening." Dipper changed the sentence. "She never told me anything, but I have some theories…"

"Maybe there's something to do with that stupid King? Or maybe the arranged marriage? Maybe she doesn't like him or something?"

"I didn't know you knew about that… Anyway, not exactly. From what I heard, her groom is like the perfect suitor, noble, gentle and all that crap. And from what she said, she barely knew him. And she's not the type of person to just not like someone without knowing them. I think it is something going on for a while."

"Like what?"

"That's the thing, I don't know. Maybe it could be that someone is blackmailing her and she has to marry that dandy prince to be free from it. Or maybe it is some stupid political game thing. That and the thing that she always hatted living in the palace." Dipper said, trying to keep his jealousy hate for the prince at the minimum. "But I will find out what is going on."

"Of course you will. And I'm counting on you to solve that mystery."

"Well, you know I can't resist discovering things I don't know."

"Indeed."

Roderick relied with a smile on his lips, his son was absolutely curious, he always have been. And that curiosity always gave the boy a passion for learning and discovering things. Dipper smiled as well and gathered up energy enough to stand up, rubbing his neck nervously.

"By the way, dad… About Mabel and I…" He started but was interrupted by Soos, going up the sterncastle.

"Dudes, lunch is ready, aren't you coming? Robbie and Wendy already ate so they can stay by the helm."

"Sure, Soos. We're coming." Announced the captain and then the chubby man nodded and turned to go. Roderick faced his kid again. "What were you saying, Son?"

"Nothing. Just forget about it." Mumbled the boy in a tired slurred voice, his father just shrugged and let that go. It was better this way, at least for a little while, it was best to keep it all a secret, and Dipper knew it.

* * *

 **So, I hope all of you liked this chap! I guess you were waiting for something like that to happen for a looong time! :D**

 **Please tell me if you enjoyed it!**

 **Thanks so much for your support, it means a lot to me! :D**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	17. 16 - Worth It

**Hi, guys! I updated on time! I'm dying to keep it always at sundays!**

 **Unfortunately, my Beta, Ladipretender, is still very busy, and she couldn't edit this (and it's my fault, I took too long to send the chap to her...).**

 **So, this chap is not edited, so you will find some mistakes along the way. I'm sorry about that, but my English is not perfect and even if it was, I'd probably miss a lot of little mistakes... Anyway, she'll edit it later, but I hope you'll all enjoy it like that anyway! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

 **Worth It**

Mabel stirred as she felt herself starting to wake up. She stretched her arms and yawned, noticing her lips were curved into a smile that seemed like it was not going to disappear so soon. For a moment, she wondered if it all had been just a dream or something.

Her fingers mindlessly reached her lips, touching it lightly. The tingly sensation of his lips was still there to confirm it was real. Besides, she still has the overcoat he lent her. That and the fact that it was probably around noon were enough to make her sure of the reality that she and Dipper were now in a _relationship_. Or something like that it wasn't like they talked about it, they weren't exactly boyfriend and girlfriend. She preferred to think that she is his princess and he is her pirate. There, simple, yet resumed it perfectly.

The memories were still vivid in the back of her mind and she had to bit her lower lip trying to stop smiling. The way he touched her as if he was craving for her and the way he kissed her so passionately. Mabel never thought she'd feel something so deep and intense like that. It definitely wasn't a dream, she wouldn't dream with so much detail and she wouldn't remember the feeling of his tongue against hers. Instinctively, she covered her red and hot cheeks, even though she was alone.

For a moment, she was feeling like an excited little girl, but she couldn't help it. The guy she loves not only declared his love for her but also promised that wouldn't never let her go. It all seemed to be taken from a fairy tale she used to read about. But it was better; it was real. If only she could talk to her aunt and friends, then it would be absolutely perfect.

She stood up and grabbed the only set of clothes she had in the drawer, which was a black peasant-like vest, light caramel shirt, blood red long skirt and the shoes she was wearing with the uniform set of the tavern she worked for the night. Obviously, she put Dipper's overcoat as well, it was cold and she had the impression they were heading northwest from Salus City, so it was getting colder.

She sauntered out of the room, in fact, she didn't have much sleep, but she wasn't feeling tired, she was too happy for that and she got at least six hours of wonderful dreams about her pirate. Exiting the officer's quarter's corridor, Wendy greeted her from the sterncastle.

"Hey, Mabel! Good morning. Or should I say good afternoon? You slept quite a lot today."

"I think she should work just as everyone else in here so she wouldn't sit lazily around all morning." Complained Robbie with his elbow resting on the wheel.

"In fact I was awake for a while, I just… I was feeling a bit sick so I decided to stay in my room. I'm fine now. I guess I just need to get more used to the sea motion…" She decided the excuse in the last minute. She was almost about to say everything, but when she got out of her chambers, she had the secret in mind. And if that was the price she'd have to pay to stay with Dipper, then so be it. "But I really would like the idea of something to do. What can I do?"

"Oh, no, Mabel. He was just kidding. You're a princess after all. It's not like you're suited for working like us."

Mabel knew Wendy meant well, but it hurts nonetheless. It hurts because she wanted to be a part of the crew and soon. She didn't want to be a burden and weight everyone down. But it was true she couldn't really do much. She doesn't know how to fight, although Dipper is teaching her how to defend herself once in a while; she couldn't lift heavy stuff like the men of the crew; she can't really cook; she doesn't know anything about navigation; she doesn't know anything about sailing. So what could she do, really?

The princess' smile fell, but she managed to keep a cheerful façade just enough to ask where everyone was. Wendy informed her that Roderick, Soos and Dipper had gone down to the galley to lunch earlier and so Mabel went down the stairs.

As Mabel reached the galley floor, she already had her usual happy smile on her face. Sitting at a table and talking, she found Roderick and Soos, but Dipper was nowhere to be seen.

"Good morning! I mean, afternoon." She greeted.

"Oh, Mabel. I was about to check on you and bring you lunch." The captain gestured to a plate with food by his side.

"Thanks. That is really thoughtful of you. May I?"

"Sure. This is for you. I guess by now pretty much everyone had lunch by now."

Mabel sat and started eating, for the first time noticing it was later than she thought; instead of noon, it was around two o'clock. The tables of the galley still had people at it, but the majority already stopped eating.

"By the way what happened? You usually wake up early."

Her mind screamed at her to stay with the same excuse. And so she did.

"I was awake for a while, but I was feeling a bit seasick, so I stayed in my room."

"Are you okay now?" She nodded promptly. "That's weird, you seemed quite resistant to seasickness before... But well, it happens once in a while. I'm glad you're feeling fine now."

"Next time you're feeling not okay just tell me, I have some remedies for these kind of stuff at the infirmary." Commented the chubby man with his usual carefree smile and joyful attitude.

"Sure, Soos. I'll remember it. Oh, and where's Dipper?"

"He is in charge to wash everyone's dishes today. So as soon as he finished lunch he went to the back of the kitchen to work." The captain answered her.

Roderick kept her company until she finished, telling her stories of his life as a pirate since she curiously asked. They didn't talk much, though. He only told her about how Grunkle Stan quickly taught him all he needed to know and how difficult it was to leave his almost three-year-old son.

"Then why you left him?" The curiosity took over her and she couldn't stop herself. But she didn't mean to butt in so much. Luckily, instead of being angry, Roderick just smiled sadly.

"I needed money to support my boy. Especially then, when I was alone. Dipper's mother died not long after he was born."

"What I meant is the real reason why you left, but that's okay. And I thought Dipper said she was killed."

Mabel quickly took the fork full of food to her mouth so she could shut up. She knew it was a delicate subject for the man in front of her and she respected that, she didn't want her curiosity to hurt someone else. He run his hand on his badly shaved beard and took a deep breath. His caramel hazelnut eyes were thoughtful and intense.

His silence was killing her; when she was about to tell him to forget about what she said, he managed to smile softly. Roderick keep staring at her with sorrowful eyes from the other side of the table, resting his chin on his hand before he moved that hand forward to brush some strand of hair out of place. Before leaving her room, she put on a red ribbon to put her long hair away from her face, but it somehow always got messy sooner or later.

"You're very observant, you'd make a good queen." He praised. "But it doesn't matter how she was gone, just that she's not here anymore." He had a sad small smile on his lips. Then he started tapping the wooden table board, maybe nervous, maybe feeling awkward, Mabel couldn't tell. "I guess I just needed to go away. Find something I liked to do so maybe the pain would be bearable someday."

"I'm so sorry, Roderick, I didn't mean to…"

"I know. Don't worry, I'm not mad." He spoke before she could finish the sentence. "In a way, she still lives, through Dipper. You know, he's got a lot of her. He's very organized and likes to plot stuff just like she did. She was a lot more cheerful and clumsier, though." Mabel didn't even know what to say. And then Roderick looked at her again, finally noticing something odd about her. "Wait, isn't that Dipper's old overcoat?"

"Yeah. It is. You know, it's quite cold here and everything I got, besides this set of clothing is back in Stan's house. We left in a hurry."

"We did but it's not an excuse to leave you like that. Geez, you're a princess, you have to be the least comfortable around here, for crying out loud."

"And I am, Roderick. Stop saying it like I'm a snobbish little princess, please. I never liked the dresses I used in the palace anyway, the corsets were so tight it was hard to breathe and I never could put my personal touch on them. For example, when we were in Salus City, I could put cute colored ribbons on my sleeves and no one said anything. Back in the palace pretty much the only thing I could control in my appearance was my hair and even so my dad demanded that wherever I did, it would be very tidy."

"Well, okay, then. But we're gonna get you some clothes so you won't be cold and change those ones."

"Yes. Dipper said he'd take care of it."

"Great. But I have to go now, I'm sorry to leave you by yourself."

"It's okay. I'm almost done anyway."

The captain nodded and stood up, walking away. Mabel was the last to finish her lunch and then she took her dishes to the back of the kitchen. By then, the table part of the galley was already almost empty. And so she took her plate, fork and knife to the back of the kitchen. She already knew whom she'd find there.

The kitchen was very narrow and simple, with a stove and other things to cook in one side and the other had the cabinets to store plates, pots, pans, and stuff. Dipper was standing by the cabinets, surrounded by dirty dishes in front of a large washbasin with water.

His dark overcoat was hanged by the entrance and his gray sleeves were pushed up to his elbows so he wouldn't get it wet. Mabel watched him rub the sponge around a plate and then sink it beneath the water before putting it into a soaked pile by his left side. He grabbed another plate, leaving the forks and knifes separated into another pile, he started rubbing the sponge on the white plate, the light soapy foam filling it before he sank into the washbasin.

"Hey, Dip." She called leaving her dishes by the other dirty ones. "Do you want some help? It seems a lot of stuff to do."

"It definitely is. There's over a hundred people in this ship. But you actually can't help me."

"Oh…" Her voice came sad and annoyed.

Even _Dipper_ was like that? She was so sure he thought better of her. She did not like to be treated as a pampered and spoiled little princess in this ship. There must be something she could do; she was feeling totally useless now and with nothing to do the entire day. With a heavy sigh, she looked away. The boy was not looking directly at her, but he noticed she was disappointed.

"You know, I have to do this by myself because it is part of my punishment. But, the captain said nothing about drying. Would you help me?" He asked extending her a white cloth.

Mabel's chestnut eyes widened and sparkled. It was the first time she could remember someone asking for her help to do anything, really asking and not just saying it. Who would ask for the help of a princess? Especially for something so simple as to dry dishes? No one. Except her pirate.

If Mabel were the crying type of girl, her eyes would be watery. But she wasn't, so instead of tears, there was a beautiful smile on her lips.

"Yes!"

"Then come to my left side and start drying those plates. You have to put them into that cabinet in front of you. It's a bit high, but I think you can reach it just fine."

She quickly grabbed the cloth he was handing her and jumped in front of the soaked pile of plates to get the first one and rub the water out of it. Then, she opened the upper cabinet and started piling them in there.

"So, Dip, do you think I can do something else besides helping you do the dishes?"

"I'm sure there's more stuff besides cleaning you can do, I'll think about it when my brain start working properly again."

"About that, you seem so tired and with black rings under your eyes. Have you slept at all?"

"Not really. After Soos took my place by the helm I went to sleep, then the captain woke me up three hour later. I don't know which is worst, sleeping so little or not sleeping at all…" Mumbled Dipper, his voice was coming out a bit slurred so tired he was. "And to top that, Robbie was following me wherever I went to do my chores, obviously complaining about how _he_ was having more work because of me. Geez, my dad punished only me and he knows it. He just likes to get on my nerves for nothing."

As he complained, Mabel heard attentive while she quickly dried all the plates over the lower cabin, placing them in inside the upper one. When the dripping wet pile was over, she started getting the next plates from his hands after washing them. By then, she had to change the cloth she was using since it was already too soaked.

"I really don't understand Robbie. Why does he do this kind of stuff to you?"

"I don't know. He's just stupid, I guess." He huffed. "The problem is that I'm sleepy, and grumpy because I'm sleepy."

"Oh, Dip, you're so adorable when you're angry." Giggling, she leaned to rest her head on his shoulder, grabbing another white plate from his grip in the process. Dipper immediately stiffened and Mabel couldn't help but laugh softly feeling him so tense underneath her. "Geez, Dipton, relax. It's almost like you never got a girl doing it before or staying so close."

"Well… Maybe I didn't… I was quite the lonely boy, remember?"

"Oh, come on. A young dashing cute boy like you probably had a lot of girls after you." She smiled and then got away from his shoulder just to put the next dried dish in the right place. "Besides, you didn't seem so timid last night when you were kissing me…" Teased the girl in a low voice; already knowing he'd ask her to be careful about what she said. "Relax. We're alone in here."

"Yeah… I know… In this case…"

Dipper looked behind them, at the entrance, the room was completely empty aside from the two of them. So he risked leaning in to kiss her. And how he missed her lips even though it had passed just a few hours since he last touched it. That was when he realized just how addicted he was over her. And he couldn't risk not having her around anymore and it was this thought that gave him enough strength to pull away quickly.

She smiled happily even though the kiss was cut short. He loves her and that's all that mattered. Leaning on his shoulder again, Mabel was pretty satisfied that he didn't tensed up a second time. Instead, he seemed very pleased and comfortable with her.

Dipper was the first, no, the _only_ one that understood her. The only one that supported her on what she wanted and not what people thought she'd want. The only one who saw her true self, seeing her for what she is and not the position she was born into. And she liked it; she needed it just as much as she needed the warmth of his strong arms around her waist like the previous night.

Not wanting to get away from him, she didn't back away to put the dishes back in the upper cabinet; instead, she started piling them in front of her. She could just put them all at once at the end of it anyway. So her head kept staying leaned on his shoulder. And although he was tired and sleepy, her presence and her touch were like an ignition that helped him have enough energy to finish the task at hand.

"So… You really believed I had tons of girls after me growing up?"

She giggled at his comment.

"You silly!"

Later, that day, they switched places sitting at the main deck, backs resting on the taffrail. The sun was setting over the horizon, this time; his head was lying on her shoulder as he dozed off the first chance he got. All it took him was five minutes sitting and talking before he couldn't keep his eyes opened anymore.

Mabel resisted the urge to lightly caress his hair so the crew wouldn't be so suspicious, after all, since her kidnap both had been quite close. Their hands, however, had their fingers interlaced between them by the floor so no one would see it.

* * *

Captain Ivan heard knocks at his door and soon Toby Determined entered.

"We're finally reaching Salus City, Captain." Ivan smiled devilishly and stood up from his chair, leaving his private quarters.

Looking at the horizon, he could see the city coming and they were getting closer very fast. "Very well. Tell everyone to get ready to dock."

The pirate ship got in the city later than the captain wished or expected because they were caught in a storm in the way. Besides, he had to renegotiate the price for the princess head.

As their ship entered the harbor and finally docked, the captain and his loyal mate then jumped out of the ship. "Let's pay the old man a visit, Toby." Both made their way to the well-known store with the label "Mystery Shack" above its entrance.

They walked fast for about ten minutes until they stopped in the other side of the street. Ivan could see inside through the window glass, the store was pretty empty aside from Stan, leaning at the counter and looking like he was about to sleep.

The pirate captain knew his enemies very well to know that he wouldn't be there if he wasn't alone in the city. Therefor, Roderick and his crew were not in the city. So a very angry Ivan turned to hide, soon followed by Toby.

"Hum… What happened, sir?" The short man's squeaky voice asked his superior.

"Roderick is not in town. We need some info. Let's got to our favorite tavern. Maybe there's gonna be some information in there."

Ivan then started walking and stomping his feet. Part of him always wanted to take out Stan alone in his shop whenever he got in Salus City, however, he's not stupid.

The old man has been a pirate for years and there's a reason for him to be alive this entire time and he probably had some tricks under his sleeves even though he was not in a pirate ship anymore. Besides, even though Stan could not move as he used to when younger, he was experienced enough to kick Ivan's butt and he knew it.

So captain Ivan and Toby went back to the harbor and entered in a familiar small tavern, the owner was a tall strong man behind the counter. With a bit of golden coins, he said everything he knew. What he heard about was that Roderick's ship was docked before, hidden from sight by being n the far side of the harbor, however, it was not longer there, and apparently they left in a hurry the previous night.

Ivan inveighed at no one in particular, he was furious with the situation. If he had gotten there only 24 hours earlier he'd have gotten the girl.

"Well, it doesn't matter. Roderick always comes back. All we have to do is wait until he returns."

* * *

 **So, that's it for today!**

 **I hope you guys liked this! If you did, please leave me a review! It's really important to me and it helps me keep on time on my updates! :D**

 **Itban Fuyu**


	18. 17 - Obnoxious Feelings

**Yay me! I'm on time again for another update! :D**

 **But, sorry to repeat that, but my beta is very busy right now and she couldn't edit this chap... Please don't nag me about my mistakes, my English is not perfect. But thanks to those who said that didn't even spot mistakes on my chaps! You guys are awesome! ;D**

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

 **Obnoxious Feelings**

The next day was even colder, and Mabel was thankful for having the thick overcoat Dipper lent her. She could have asked for Wendy for something, but his was so cozy and smelled like him she didn't want to get rid of it just yet.

After that day of punishment, making Dipper work hard the entire day without even sleeping for real, the captain finally though it was enough and ended his suffering. So that morning, Dipper was still sleeping in the chamber he temporarily shares with his father.

Mabel wouldn't dare disturb him, but she was a bit bored. Wendy and Soos were the few people besides Dipper Mabel actually liked to talk to and liked her back, but they were with the captain in the navigation room and she thought they were probably discussing something important to do with the route they'd do, so she decided not to butt in.

Although Dipper told her from the beginning to wander around the ship alone since they're pirates after all, but now they were pretty used with her presence, so there was no problem in her doing that. She was just walking and looking around when she found Robbie lied down on a net at the end of the gun deck.

"Hey, Robbie, good morning. I thought you were in the navigation room with the captain, Wendy and Soos."

"No, I don't really know that stuff…"

"No? I thought you knew, since you're near commander and all. Besides you've been a pirate since you were a kid, or so I've been told."

"Yeah, it doesn't mean I understand anything about navigation. Never did. So what?"

"Nothing…" She mumbled taken aback by his roughness. "By the way, that bluish dark green vest of yours is a bit unraveled."

"Don't you say, I'd never guess." His tone was sarcastic. "It was my favorite, but whatever, I'll just get rid of it and get a new one."

"But it's still good to be used, just needs to be fixed. You know where I can find some needle and thread? I could do that for you."

"Oh, yeah? And what is the price?"

"Price?"

"Yeah. The price for you to do that. Everyone wants something and you aren't different."

The girl blinked, she wasn't actually familiar to this way of thinking and she wasn't asking him to sew back his vest in order to get something from it. However, it didn't mean she didn't want something too.

"Oh, right… Well then, I'd like you to truthfully and sincerely answer me a question."

"Shoot it."

"Why you hate Dipper so much?"

Robbie laughed.

"Oh, come on, that's just stupid. I refuse to answer that."

Mabel grinned. She might not be able to understand him fully, but if there was something she was good at is getting people. The girl put her hands on her hips and leaned forward, her tone came soft and low, but daring at the same time.

"I dare ya."

"You don't know how to play this game, girl." Once again, he laughed mockingly.

"Don't I? Are you completely positively sure? Maybe I could just ask the crew then. Do you think they'll think you were scared of a little girl like me?"

 _Oh, crap, she knows how to play it._ Robbie thought as his heart raced. And he knew that she knew he was on her hands the moment she grinned again. Robbie's self steam wasn't as high as he wished it to be so receive a dare like that always made him want to prove himself.

But it didn't mean he couldn't try to look tough, so he stood up quickly and boldly, his hands tight into a fist. The thing is, he did not intimidate her at all.

"So, do we have a deal?"

"No way, it's not worth that much."

"So you're chicken out?"

"Urgh! Okay. I'll tell you. Happy now?" He blurted out, though not loud enough to get the attention of the people on the other side of the gun deck. His dark blue eyes were intense underneath the messy and dirty black strands of hair falling on his face. "It's just that he has everything. So I want to take what's his. I don't know ho much, but I think he likes you somehow; maybe I should just get you too as well."

Mabel widened in surprise as he pushed her against him by the waist. And then she started laughing uncontrollably. Luckily, Robbie wasn't the very perceptive kind of guy or he'd have figured it out by now.

"Oh, Robbie. You and I both know it wouldn't work out. We barely know each other and I know how much you like Wendy." She backed away by pulling him at his chest. Yeah, he knew it was stupid, but he needed to try something to make her stop anyway. "So, you're not deviating. I just want to know, I'm curious. It's a fair trade, right?"

Robbie sighed heavily. She was giving him a choice in that point. But he just decided to forget about that and gave in.

"Okay. We keep some of these stuff in the infirmary."

"At the infirmary? Why?"

"There was no other place and it can be used to patch up someone when needed."

"Oh."

She mumbled surprised and then went into the infirmary, which wasn't far from there and grabbed the sewing kit where he told her it would be. Then got a simple needle and a green threat closest to the color of his vest and then walked her way back to where Robbie was.

The young obnoxious man already had taken out his vest and just threw it on her the moment she was close enough. Mabel had to grab it from her face and then sat on a net nearest the one he was sitting before she started working.

"Now, while I do this, you can tell me."

"You do realize I could just stall until you're done, right?" he teased, but it backfired.

"You do realize I could just unravel it all, right?"

"Okay, geez. You're as stubborn and curious as that brat…" He mumbled lying down, using his hands as a pillow behind his head. "The truth is very simple, if you insist so much. He's just an annoying irritating brat that has everything I want."

Mabel had just begun fixing his vest and stopped to look at him confused. "But I thought you were the one who got the girl he was into…"

"Yeah. At the time I just wanted Wendy because he liked her. But then, I started liking her."

As Mabel's hands worked with the needle, her brain started working as well. Previously, she thought their quarrel might have started with Wendy. But now it was clearly prior to that. So there was something Dipper has that Robbie wants, maybe since they first met. And it probably wasn't something material, easy to be carried away, or else Robbie would have gotten it already. It was something that means a lot.

"Okay then. I understand. By the way, Dipper told me you came to the ship very early, right?"

"Yeah. I was a kid back then. At the beginning I worked as a cabin boy."

"Cabin boy?"

Annoyed, Robbie huffed at her lack of pirate knowledge.

"A cabin boy is a kid that pirates usually kidnap to serve the captain. The boy usually never goes back to his old life and turns into a pirate as well. That's what happened to me, as you can obviously see."

Mabel decided not to ask further. Dipper told her once that Robbie lost his family when the captain found him, so she knew it would be something that hurt the young man. However, her curiosity couldn't let the subject go. Her mind still flew through a million things.

What could Dipper have that Robbie wanted so much? And then it downed upon her. Robbie was just a boy when he lost his family probably not much older than ten or so and Roderick was the one who, in a way, saved him. She noticed Roderick cared a lot for Robbie, but it wasn't near as how much he cared for his only son.

And that was it. Robbie wanted a family, he wanted someone's attention, and the closest one after his family died and he joined piracy was the one who saved him and cared for him and treated him well. But this person already had his full attention to someone else. That someone is Dipper. Everything made sense now. Maybe Roderick even saw Robbie as part of a family, like a nephew or little cousin. Not as a son, though.

"Wait, so you're jealous of Dipper." She concluded out loud, She actually didn't mean to say it, she just did. What she didn't expect was that he'd be so suddenly furious. Robbie snapped up in a sitting position.

"No way! Take that back!"

"But it is. I'm right. You said so yourself. Dipper has something you don't but you wish you had. And it is Roderick. You wanted a father figure in your life, but he already had a son and he never saw you the way you wanted."

"Shut up! You don't know _anything_!" She did and she knew it, because the way he was acting just screamed she was absolutely right. "You don't understand me and you don't understand what it feels like to lose someone of your family!"

That made her angry, but instead of standing up and yelling like him, she tried to remain as calm as she could. Not only because she knew the subject was very delicate for the rebel young man, but also because as a princess, she was taught to remain calm and not yell at someone in a discussion.

"Maybe not as you do, but I know what's like to grow up without a mother. I know what it's like to feel alone. And I know what it feels like to crave for the attention of your parents. Don't think that just because I was born in a palace that my life was perfect. I love my father but his job takes too much of him. He was always going on long trips, leaving me at the castle. He wasn't even around on my 8th birthday. But I did not blame him for that."

"It's not the same thing."

"No. And it couldn't be the same. But you can't just blame Dipper and be mad at him because it's not his fault. This anger will only makes things worst. This feeling will only make you feel angrier and sadder. Unless you make it stop with good feelings. Maybe if you could treat and see Dipper as a little brother, Roderick could accept you easier as something close to a son. Or you'd at least not feel so bad." She paused for a moment, guessing she probably crossed a line by his startled expression, but when she started she just couldn't stop anymore. "So yeah, I do understand a little of what you feel."

Unlike most people, Mabel was always the kind of person to see the bright side of everything, always trying to keep a smile on her face because she knew that bad feelings would only attract more bad feelings. She rarely let a bad feeling weighing her down.

This always been something she did automatically, but for most people, it's hard to just not to let those strong feelings take over and guide their actions. And he hated to admit it, but that's what he was doing. It's true that he can't change what he feels, no one can. However, he can control what he does despite those feelings.

"Well, I finished." Her voice silently spoke after a long period of silence. She handed him his bluish dark green vest. And could you please just put the needle back in its place?" She wanted to get away from him so much that she just left hid clothing on his hands, giving him the needle as well.

Robbie was astonished, he didn't answer, just kept looking at her. Mabel turned and left, knowing he was somehow hurt and she needed to leave him with his thoughts. Besides, he needed that as well. The girl quickly decided to go back up to the main deck. He watched her until her figure disappeared from sight.

Robbie was conflicted and confused. Moments ago he felt as if he just wanted to kill that obnoxious princess. Now, he was feeling something totally different. Almost as if he finally recognized she's not just an ordinary girl. She's smart, daring and brave; he admires that about her.

That was when he suddenly realized he cared for her. Maybe not that much, but he'd definitely want to protect Mabel if any harm got to her. Although he wasn't sure about how much he was fond of the crazy girl, he knew two things for sure. One, he cared for her; and two, it was not in a romantic light, even though he didn't know yet how he felt his affection towards her.

* * *

The next morning was quite sunny in Salus City that once again, like almost every morning, greeted a mercantile ship reaching the harbor.

From that ship, two important men came out. They were tall and imposing, but they were using simple commoner's clothing, but their fancy satchels with a royal crest that seemed so expansive that disagreed when compared to their looks. They were very clean and tidy peasants, though.

Both paid the captain of the ship for the journey and they walked away. It was difficult, but Trigger and Powers finally found out that a pirate's ship had been in Alyoth's harbor the night the princess disappeared, and since the ship also departed that day, the obvious conclusion was that they were the ones who got her. Asking everyone they could, the two trackers discovered the ship was heading to Salus City. Turns out a slightly drunken tramp overheard the crew when the ship was docked.

After that, they didn't hesitate in getting the first mercantile ship that was heading this way. Now all they had to do is find out of the ship they're looking for really got there and of there was a girl with the description of the princess around there. It was definitely easier said than done. But that didn't stop them.

As Trigger and Powers got out of the ship, they soon started asking around for information.

"Oh, yes, I know about this ship you seek…" And old man that used to fish alone all day by the harbor answered after getting a bit of money from the two, he could tell by their boots that they had money. "It docked about one or two weeks ago, I can't remember for sure… But I do recall seeing a pretty lady with the description you gave me."

"Do you know where the ship is?"

"Or the crew?"

"No, though I do believe it set sail a couple of days ago. I also know they come here a lot. Maybe the girl you're looking for is still in the city. I don't remember seeing her around the night the ship went to the sea."

"Thank you for the information." Knight Powers, the older one, said, paying him a couple of extra silver coins before walking away with Trigger.

"So, what are we gonna do? I men, we know the ship was here, but would they just leave the girl here and go?"

"Didn't you hear what he said, Trigger? The crew usually comes here, so they must have some contacts or allies around here. Maybe they left the girl with them. Since we have no idea where they're gone to, the best bet we have is to look around the city." The man said rubbing his moustache in a thoughtful way.

"I suppose that we'll have to search every inch of the city, then."

"Exactly." The older one said.

Both started waling near the harbor, towards the direction they walked moments earlier.

"In this case, let's find us a place to stay and then we'll walk around and search until we find her."

"That's what I was thinking. Come, we passed a good looking Inn just ahead." Powers announced and soon they found the place he was talking about, so he asked for two single rooms.

The owner, a woman in her mid 40s seemed happy to have costumers and promptly showed the best available quarters, informing the best points of it.

"Thank you, madam, we're taking it."

"Sure. And for how long?"

"We're not sure yet."

"Okay, but then I must say the price. It is one golden coin each per day if you want dinner and breakfast or three silver ones each with only breakfast. And I'll need names and references."

Powers and Trigger exchanged looks and then the more experienced man got a sac with golden coins that was certainly enough for both for more than a month.

"I believe it will be enough. This is our reference."

"Oh, I can't accept that, it's too much."

"It is just fine."

"Sure. And how should I call you, sir?"

"Smith and Jones. That's all you need to know. We'll be back by nightfall."

"Your quarters will be ready for you, Mr. Smith." The woman said.

The knights in disguise nodded and then walked away; ready to turn the entire city inside out if needed be until they find the princess.

* * *

The same morning, miles away in the open sea, Mabel was brushing her hair inside her cabin. She had woken up minutes ago and had just put some clothes on. She really didn't want to use the same set again, but she had no choice, though luckily, Wendy lent her a white shirt, but it was the only thing that she could borrow.

As she was looking at her reflection at the small squared mirror on the drawer mindlessly working the brush, she kept wondering if she was maybe too harsh with Robbie. He was definitely the type of person to take everything personally and she just blurted out a bunch of truth in his face that he might not have been ready for yet. From the beginning, she noticed he is the lonely kind of guy, a bit rebel and easy to get irritated. And for the rest of previous day, he didn't even spoke with her again.

Mabel was used to not even repeat a dress, so many she has in the palace, so use the same one for already two days in a roll was really weird. She was almost finishing untangling her hair when she heard knocks at the door.

"Come in."

Her soft voice whispered loud enough for the person on the other side of the door to hear and so the wooden board opened revealing Dipper.

"You're up already, why didn't you go down to have breakfast?"

"Well, first, I just finished getting ready and second, it's freezing outside. It's so much colder than in Salus City." He grinned at her exaggeration. It wasn't like she never saw snow, for example, so she has endured much colder weather than this.

Then he slowly closed the door behind him to give them some privacy. He stayed there for a while, just enjoying seeing her tie a red cloth over her head like a headband, noticing she always liked to do something like that to take her head out of the way, and she was beautiful like that as always.

"Oh, come on, it's not that much. It's not even winter anyway."

"I know it's just that when it's cold like that I usually have like a hundred layers of clothing whenever I want."

"Don't worry. I'm gonna get as many as you want as soon as we port. Which will be soon, we can already see Anwril City from here."

"Really?" She promptly ran to the window trying to see it.

"Yep. But we can't see it from this window. Come with me outside. I promise I'll keep you warm." He tried, but it's not like he succeeds in sounding as charming and sexy as he wants. It worked though; because she just smiled and grabbed the overcoat he lent her.

"Well, then, Dipperoon, help me put this on and let's go out side. I want to see this city!"

* * *

 **I hope you guys liked this!**

 **And if you liked, please leave me a review on your way out! Oh, and check my profile for other stories or drawings on my DA link! :D**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	19. 18 - Reality Shock

**Hi, guys! I know it was a bit delayed, but here is chap 18! I hope you'll all enjoy and review! :D**

 **And yeah... this chap is still not edited, sorry... just deal with my non perfect grammar for a little while...**

 **Oh, and I'd like to thank that Guest reviewer that stayed up late at night reading it, only something we really like can make us stay awake in the middle of the morning, so it's an honor that someone did that with my fic. And, BTW, I'm sorry for making you stay awake so late, lol!**

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

 **Reality Shock**

The city was beautiful from afar and wonderful as they got closer to it. Dipper tried not to look so head over heals for the girl but the truth is that he was so caught up with her he barely noticed Robbie behind them, looking at the young couple, following them since they exited the quarter's corridor to the main deck.

The city was located in a depression between cliffs that weren't really tall, probably only around three to four meters high. It took them minutes until the ship finally docked at the harbor and as soon as it stopped, the people of the crew put on a ramp between the ship and the docks. Since the taffrail is continuous, the ramp had to go over it, being quite high to go down.

The ship and the harbor suddenly got bustling as the men started to go down to work. They needed to prepare the ship to set sail again by nightfall, as the captain has commanded.

Excited to see the city, Mabel ran to the ramp and as she made mention to jump on the taffrail, Robbie, who was besides it extended a hand to help her up. He didn't say anything or even really looked at the girl, but the simple gesture made Dipper's blood boil beneath the surface. Robbie was definitely not the kind of person to do something like that at all. Never.

Luckily, Dipper didn't see Robbie pulling Mabel closer the previous morning. The conflicted young man was difficult to understand, even for the princess who is very good in reading people. Moments ago she stood in her room wondering if he wanted to kill her or something and then he went and offered a hand to help her up. It wasn't like she couldn't do it by herself and he knew it, so his gestured just showed her that he somehow cared for her. Even confused, she accepted it anyway and stepped on the taffrail to go down the ramp.

Dipper followed her with no hesitation, and as he passed through the young companion, he just glared at him deadly imaginary daggers. The teenager tried hard not to show how angry he was, but it was too difficult. Robbie already got Dipper's first love interest, Wendy, and as it looked like, the obnoxious rebel youngster was after his one true love. He could not that take that well.

As soon as he went down the ramp, he grabbed her hand and started to push her towards the city.

"Come, Mabel. Let's go to the market." His voice sounded angrier than he anticipated and the princess was a little taken aback by that.

"Dip, are you okay?" She squeezed his hand, walking behind him, trying to accompany his quick steps. Dipper gulped and sighed before he forced his heart to calm down.

"Sure." His voice was back to normal and he slowed his pace before changed the subject. "I think you're going to like this city. It's one of my favorites."

"Really? But it's so big and crowded, I thought you didn't like places like that."

"I usually don't. But here is different and it's not because it has the biggest library I've ever seen. I can't really explain it, but this place simply has a good vibration. And after I buy you some new clothes, we can go sight seeing and then I'll show you my favorite part of this city."

"I'd like that!"

The girl exclaimed happily after him. Dipper decided that he would ignore the annoying Robbie and enjoy the day with Mabel. After all, she was now with him and not with Robbie. Feeling bold, he pushed her closer and wrapped his arm around her, leaving his hand resting on her shoulder as he led Mabel around the city.

First, they went to buy her new dresses. The peasant women clothes of Anwril were a little different from the ones in her country, and Mabel guessed it probably had something to do with the colder weather too.

Instead of three-part set, the girls in Anwril use to wear a two-layer dress, a light under-dress (usually white) and then a mix between the corselet vest and a dress skit attached to it. This undergarment was made in a warmer fabric than her shirt. The bodice was also the thing that helps to hold the feminine parts in place, but in Anwril it was shorter and more confortable, Mabel liked that.

Dipper bought her three dresses plus the pink one she was now using. He also got her a beige coat she loved, new brown boots, a dark purple hooded cape to keep her warm and an indigo shawl. She also got some fabrics so she could sew any other kind of clothes she could want to.

"Hey, Dip, can I get some belts as well? Something that might make me look like a pirate…"

"Sure, Mabs. Anything you want. Just keep low about the pirate thing, even though they probably recognized me as being one by my clothes, some people get even more scared when they know it for sure." He whispered to her. His dark clothes, the black leather overcoat and the sword hanging by the belt in his waist were huge giveaways.

And he was right, indeed the sellers from the shops they've been looked at Dipper with fright in their eyes and soon with a very puzzled look the moment they spot him acting like a fallen in love fiancé for the pretty girl with him. The belts shop wasn't different.

Mabel chose a dark brown belt around ten centimeters large to close the coat over her waist, forming a beautiful silhouette.

"Hey, Dip, how do I look?"

"Stunning. There'd be no girl prettier than you."

"Pfff." She commented in a joking tone and grinning waved her hand for emphasis. "You're just saying that because you haven't met my cousin, Pacifica."

"You mean the obnoxious one with a 'snobblish' complex?" Dipper asked using the same way she used to refer to the word 'snobbish', taking the joke and just kidding along with her.

"Yep. She's always been the prettiest one out of the two of us. You can ask anyone. I might be pretty, but the guys would always turn their looks at her the moment she enters the room. But I can't really blame them, I mean; I admit she's beautiful with that perfect blondish hair, always flawless and sparkling big blue eyes. Why would anyone choose the ordinary brown when they got the sapphire-like ones? Men always like that type."

Mabel kept blabbing waving her arms and hands while she spoke, a hint of mocking under her voice, but that didn't make what she said any less true.

"No, they don't. My dad fell for my mom and she was totally opposite with dark brown hair and eyes. And I bet her eyes are dull and shallow. I prefer the deep big brown ones like yours."

Her heart skipped a beat, how could he be so wonderful? No one ever said something so sweet about her features in such a natural way like that. Besides, she always wanted to have blue eyes like Pacifica, now she was reconsidering it. However, she couldn't let him be the last to speak.

"Still, everyone said she was the prettiest."

"Is she a boy?"

"What? No. Why?"

"Because how come she's the prettiest if you're the most beautiful girl in the world?"

She laughed softly and couldn't resist biting her lower lip. He was learning fast the art of making comebacks. Before he met her, it was harder for him to do so because he was always making plans and getting so caught up in them he just couldn't get out of it.

Now it was different because he has her. From the first moment they met, she's been pushing him out of that limitation he has, making him a better person without he even realizing it. He still likes to plot stuff and make schemes, but he wasn't so chained down to them anymore. And that was probably one of the things he likes the most about her.

"Okay, that got to be the cheesiest thing I've ever heard."

"Excuse me, I'm just trying to win a girl's heart around here."

"Oh, you silly. You don't have to do it because it won't work. That girl's heart already have been stolen by a…" She lowered her voice so it would come out but a whisper near is left ear "… a pirate."

"Who is the cheesy one now?" He kept joking with that wonderful breath-taking smile in his face that she just couldn't stop staring at.

Mabel chose to take the belt she was already using, along with other thinner brown belts she wanted to use for decoration in her plan to be more pirate-like in an attempt to be accepted by the crew more easily. He got her as many belts she wanted in all different colors and sizes, from very thin to very thick.

Dipper got his moneybag once entirely full of golden coins, now it was just around half empty. He wasn't sad about it, though. As he paid for the belts, for the first time Mabel stopped to look around in wonder to see at what he was doing as he talked with the sellers. Deep down, she knew how buy something works; someone gives money in exchange for something. But she never actually saw this swap thin happening, and the sight of the scene took her by surprise.

Here she is, spending, wasting, all his money while they desperately needed more of it in order to make the crew accept not taking her back to the palace. The priority was to be away from the palace, she could not make him spend everything he has on her. She couldn't go back.

Mabel suddenly felt horrible and stupid. They should be saving everything of it so she could stay not needlessly throwing everything away with stupid stuff for her. The crew'd never accept her if she kept doing that. She couldn't be a burden anymore. Then the girl decided she'd not get anything else, though she wished she had realized it at the beginning.

"Can we go sightseeing now, Dip?"

"Sure, let me just put all these things in your room and we may go." And so they started walking back to the harbor. Since it wasn't too far away, they spotted it after moments.

"Do you want any help holding my stuff?" She asked noticing he was the one holding all the paper bags and boxes with what they recently bought, apart from the dress she was using and the dark purple cloak.

"Nah, I'm fine. Do you want to wait for a minute here? I'll be back in jiff."

Dipper left her waiting at the docks and went up the ramp inside the ship, disappearing for a few minutes. Mabel stayed watching familiar faces from the crew take barrels in and out of the ship, then, she spotted Robbie coordinating what'd go in and out. She made a small smile and waved at him.

What she expected was that he'd just humph and look away, instead, he just kept looking at her with an undecipherable look in his deep dark blue eyes. She gulped still uncertain if he was mad at her or not, it was never her intention to hurt him; could it be that he just held such a grudge on her? Then, why did he help her up?

They exchanged looks for a few long moments until Dipper returned, thankfully, he didn't seem to notice them looking at each other or he might have another inner jealousy attack.

"Sorry it took so long, you know, my dad kept telling me to be careful and stuff. Like not to miss curfew, again. Now, I'll show you a beautiful sight."

Then he gently grabbed her and started to walk away from the harbor, heading south inside the city.

"What do you mean?"

"By curfew I meant the time the ship will set sail, which will be by nightfall. It's just that I missed it before. This city is really nice and it has so many nice things I ended up losing track of time. There was this time we were supposed to depart at noon, but I was reading in this really nice place. I only realized how late it was because the sun was setting..." She laughed as they walked down the streets, he was leading the way to his favorite place and she guessed it was the place where he lost timing.

"Oh, Dip. You're, like, the only pirate that would lose track of time reading."

"I know. That's what he said..." Annoyed, he mumbled. "But he worries too much. And this time I know we have to be more careful, if that navy ship port here, we'll be in big trouble. I don't think they'd find us here, though. I just wish my dad wouldn't treat me like a child sometimes, he barely let me drink, it's ridiculous. I'm a teenager now. But Robbie? Oh, Robbie can drink whenever he wants..."

The list of complains could go on but the truth was that that was the main reason he had to criticize his father. All in all, Dipper only had good things to say about him, and as a child, he always wished to be just like him.

But really, sometimes the way Roderick treated him makes him angry even though he proves himself day and night. Usually, kids start drinking a little around age 14, so he is old enough. The thing is that the captain still often viewed his son as a little boy. It's always hard for parents to realize their offspring has already grown.

"Dip, he just worries about you. It's like every and any parents' job. And you know what, I guess both our fathers are quite similar, they have a lot in common."

"What? No way. My dad has nothing in common with the king! There's no way he has something in common with that royal..."

"Watch your mouth, Dipper. He's still my father." He suddenly shut up. Mabel rarely called him 'Dipper' nowadays, and the warning tone she did this time was enough for him to know he was about to cross a line. Still, he had to say something.

"How can you defend him? He locked you in that palace your whole life even though you wanted so much to leave." He gestured his arms for emphasis and then pointed to some direction they'd go.

Both had walked far away from the city, stopping by a cliff, they could watch the sea ahead, the people and the streets were behind them. Dipper gestured down and so they started to descend the cliff where there was a natural path almost like a ladder. Three meters down, there was a thin beach with lots of rocks around its shores.

"He's not a monster, Dipper. No one is completely bad or completely good. People make mistakes, that's just how life is."

"What are you trying to say?"

The young pirate asked confused descending the rocky path, constantly looking behind to check if she was all right while using his left hand against the walls of the cliff in order to help him keep balanced once in a while. Mabel wasn't as carefree, she had never walked in such an unstable territory, so she had to help support and balance herself using both hands against the cliff wall.

"What I'm saying is that I know he's not exactly the best king ever, he makes mistakes. And I know that because of his work, he had to travel a lot. There was this time that he had to travel and it he couldn't come back in time for my 8th birthday. I was so mad I barely spoke to him for days. But I was a child; I didn't understand it back then. And that doesn't mean he was a bad father either. Okay, I know our relationship is far from being close, we're nothing like you and Roderick, you both probably talk in a day more than I get to do it with him for the entire month."

"Okay, then, why don't you give me an example of a good thing your father did so I can understand better your point of view…" He tried not to sound as sarcastic as he did.

"You know three and seven are delicate ages. A lot of kids die around then. And not long after I turned seven I fell very ill. I don't remember what it was, something about my lungs I guess. Physicians weren't really sure I'd live, but my father didn't listen to them and took me to Marenia. This country is very known by having a really good medicine; he spoke with the king and queen so they could make a treaty in my account. He took me there and they treated me. That was the only time I left my palace, but since I was too sick and too young to truly remember or enjoy the trip, I don't really count that time. Besides, I only stayed indoors, so it was like staying in a different part of the castle. With different people and hearing a different accent, but all in all it was the same. I had a friend there, though. But it's not like we got to play too often, as soon as I was fine, my father took me back home. And he stayed with me until I recovered. He had to leave the kingdom with his younger sister to be with me."

"Okay, you convinced me…" Dipper said in a low sort of defeated voice after a long silence. "Still, that's sad you never got to see that friend again. I still don't think it was fair that you never had many people to play with when you were younger…"

"You were lonely too. Besides, who said I never saw him again?"

"I was, but it was different. And I'm quite fine by myself. If I really wanted, I could have gotten a little bit more of friends. I preferred to be alone, though. Wait, what did you mean by that? You saw her again? Is she one of your… how do you say?"

"The girls that accompany me? Candy and Grenda?" He nodded and Mabel noticed they were almost at the bottom of the long descend. "Ladies in waiting. But I never said my friend from Marenia is a girl."

"Oh… Who was it, then? And how did you see him again?"

"His name is Mermando. He's the crown prince of Marenia. With that treaty my father made with Marenia, our political relationship between the two countries got really good. It was the only time I can say I was proud of being sick." She laughed. "You know, Mermando and I got really close, we exchange letters often. Oh, geez, I forgot to tell him I was getting engaged. Then again, I'd have just told him during the ball where we'd announce my wedding with prince Gideon…"

Dipper almost slipped. How could she say something like that so naturally to the boy that just declared undying love for her?

"If you were so close, why didn't you just marry each other already?" His voice came bitter than he expected, but how could he not do that? His blood was boiling in jealousy. Geez, he didn't know he got jealous so easily.

Mabel is a pretty girl. A princess. She belongs with a stupid snobby prince, not a pirate. And he got even angrier that those princes could have her easily while he felt like he didn't even deserve her.

She laughed softly.

"Oh, Dip, you're so cute when you're jealous!"

"I'm definitely not jealous. Don't be ridiculous. Why would I be jealous of a smug prince?"

"You are. It's obvious. But answering your previous question, Mermando is engaged since he was 13. Besides, there wouldn't be a reason for us to marry. I'm only marring Gideon because our countries aren't on good terms so a matrimonial alliance is the fastest way to fix it." Dipper's heart sank and he suddenly felt like a jerk, she was being stripped out of having a choice while he was just nagging. She just kept going. "When I was younger, I actually wanted to marry Mermando, but we knew we couldn't. Though I never said I want to marry Gideon, so you don't need to be jealous, okay?"

After a moment of silence, he stopped and turned to look back at her. He had no idea it was so hard being royalty. "Mabel, is that why you once told me that kings and queens aren't free?"

"That's just the tip of the iceberg, Dip. It's the price the wealthy have to pay for being born in a good social position." She stopped in front of him, that beautiful smile never leaving her lips. "But it's okay. I'm happy now. I'm with you." Dipper leaned and kissed her.

"And I'm with you. Always."

"You know, Dip, I guess that was the only way I'd be free."

"What?"

"Being kidnapped. It's not like I could just escape and, thinking twice, even if I did, the consequences would be catastrophic, especially after the ball. After the announcement, it would make the betrothal official and if I ran away, the political matters between both countries could get worst."

"But being kidnapped would not be your fault. Nor the king's." He finished for her and she just nodded. He cupped her cheeks with both hands and just kissed her again. He lost himself in her lips for a while until he finally gathered up courage to part just a little; they were still so close he could feel her soft breath on him and the tip of her forehead touching his. "I don't want you to marry anyone else but me." He didn't mean to, but he confessed it anyway.

"Is that a proposal? We barely started flirting to each other or whatever and you're already trying to prevent me from being with anyone else?"

"I'm not just trying. I'm doing it. You're _my_ pirate girl now."

She didn't need to say anything, instead, she just showed him how he was right by kissing him deeply one more time, pushing him closer by the vest, exploring his mouth with her tongue passionately. Mabel was surer than ever that she didn't want to go back to the palace.

Once their lips parted, he smiled and gently grabbed her hand to help her down the final part of the descending. The last part was a bit tricky, the level variation was high so he went first and then helped her down, holding her by the waist almost like the first time they met.

"By the way, you never asked in what I think our fathers are similar about."

"Yeah. I guess I didn't… Then why is that?"

"You know, both are lonely men that lost their beloved ones very early, when we were just babies. They both miss their women so much they haven't let go of them until now and they do care for their children. Okay, there are a lot of men like that in the world, but it's just something else we have in common."

"I guess you're right. By the way, we're here. Meet my favorite spot in Anwril City."

"Nice to meet you, Dipper's favorite spot." She greeted to the surroundings, making him smile with her cute weirdness. "It's quite the view indeed."

As they finally reached the thin beach at the end of the cliff by the sea, she took a moment to appreciate the sight. Only vast seawater ahead, in the north side, she could see the shape of the harbor and ships coming in and out, and looking south, the cliff continued as far as the eye could see.

However soft, the wind blowing was icy cold and sometimes it felt like it could cut the skin. It was not unpleasant, though Mabel had to adjust the cape to protect better her neck and all the skin she could cover apart from her head. Sunshine would warm her through the cold breeze. The salty air was delightful, as ever, she couldn't get tired of this scent.

Only dreaming at places like that, she had never thought she'd be able to see a view as beautiful as this one. She had been forced to stay inside the palace for so long it was hard to believe she'd ever be able to go on trips like her father does even when she would be queen. And the more her father put on restrictions and told her she couldn't leave, the more she wanted to go and be free.

While she was looking around, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her pretty smile, the wonder in her eyes, her long hair dancing with the wind, the sunlight making it shine with a reddish glow; she is so beautiful inside and out he felt like she was too good for him, knowing they got something in common made her seem reachable for him.

"It's wonderful." Her voice whispered in awe. There was a moment of silence before her voice came again with a nostalgic tone. "Grenda would love it in here, she loves places by the sea."

"You miss them all, don't you?"

Of course she did and he knew it, he just couldn't help but asking. She had been without her ladies before, for longer periods of times, like when they'd go to their houses, visiting their families. But it was different situations and it just felt different.

And her aunt Mary? Well, she probably never stayed that long away from her, not that she remembers. Mary has raised her like her own child after her sister's death. However, it wasn't like she had devoted her life to her niece entirely. She married after losing her older sister, but her husband died in less than two years due to an ear infection, living her with no heir.

"I just wished I could see them again, tell them I'm fine. My aunt is probably freaking out by now while I'm here enjoying myself…"

"She'll be glad when she knows you're fine and happy." Mabel frowned in confusion, but before she could ask anything, he continued. "After you're fully integrated in the crew and as soon as I get enough money for the them, we can go in a quick visit to the capitol, use the hidden passages so you can see them again. What do you say?"

"Really?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, Dip!" She exclaimed happily and embraced him. Dipper hugged her back; breathing in her sweet scent he loves so much.

After some moments of kissing and cuddling, Dipper looked back up the rocky path ahead, the long for meters up.

"I guess we should get back, right? I'm starting to get hungry. I'll take you to this really nice restaurant."

Mabel hadn't realized she was hungry until he mentioned food, so caught up by the view and the dashing pirate with her. But with that, she remembered another important fact; she was wasting his money while she let him figure out how he'd get enough money for the crew so they'd accept her instead of getting the ransom.

"Nah. I'm not hungry. Let's just stay here a little longer, okay?"

Dipper was about to agree, but then the sounds coming from her stomach betrayed her. She rolled her eyes as she noticed he heard it the second one of his brown eyebrow raised.

The cunning pirate crossed his arms and sat by her side on a large stone by the shores. For a moment, only the sound of the waves hitting the beach and rocks could be heard.

"Okay, you're lying. Why?"

"It's ridiculous…"

"Oh, come on, Mabel. I know you trust me, so just say it. What's bothering you?"

"Look, it's just that…" She sighed, defeated. "It's just that I'm being such a burden to you. I'm making you figure out how to get money for the crew, because of me you disobeyed your father and got punished by it, and now I'm making you spend everything you have for clothes for me. You're supposed to be saving it for the crew, not wasting everything on stuff for me. I don't want to weight you down, Dip."

"Why are you saying it like that now? How did you come up with that? It's not true, you're definitely not a burden."

"I know how buying stuff work. Someone gives money in exchange for something. But it had never been part of my life. I've never really seen it happening until today. I made you spend almost all you have today. I saw your moneybag, it's half empty." And it was in moments like this that both felt like they came from total different planets.

"And you say I'm silly."

"You are. And paranoid as well." She started caressing her hair feeling uneasy.

"Mabel, I'm not spending everything I have on you. I have more in the ship. I barely paid for anything since I became a pirate. You know, must pirates, when on shores, waste it all in women and drinks and, well, I didn't… I used it in clothes and books. I know, ridiculous. The thing is, I do have a lot saved and I don't mind buying stuff for my girl. Besides, using my reserve or not wouldn't make a difference in getting money for the crew, I don't have enough saved to satisfy all of them. And actually, planning how we're gonna get more money is not really something you're making me do, it's already part of my job before I even met you."

"But now we have a deadline. A short one."

"That only makes me hurry to do my job. You don't weight me down, you silly paranoid girl. You give me strength."

"Oh, that was so sweet!"

"And I told you I didn't mind the stuff the captain made me do. It's over anyway. I want you by my side, Mabel. And I'm going to do what I have to in order to achieve that. Got it?"

"Then I guess there's nothing else for me to worry, then"

"Of course. Oh, and when you become part of the crew, you'll be able to get money too. You'll have to know how to fight, though. I'll teach you. Pirates share the treasures they get very equally. For instance, I get like 10% more than any other in the crew."

She frowned her eyebrows and adjusted the cape around her a little better. Even with the icy cold wind, she wasn't feeling uncomfortable; due to the layers od the dress, the beige coat and the dark purple cloak.

"But, you're second in command. Shouldn't you get more than them?"

"No, because the risks are the same for everyone. I only get more because it's my job to do a lot of stuff more, like tracing routes and planning raids. The captain is the only one that gets the double of everyone but that's just because he pays for everything in the ship, including food and rum along with repairs that sometimes need to be done."

"You know, in this case, I feel like I should at least compensate you for everything you've been doing for me." Her tone was slightly teasing and the smile on her lips implied her true intentions.

Mabel reached his nape and started caressing his hair, sending pleasant shivers all over his body and he wondered how someone could make him feel something so intense like that. She moved closer as he embraced and pulled her in. Dipper had a very wide and roguish smile on his lips.

"That's something I'd like."

They enjoyed each other company until they had to go back up so famished they were. But now, her heart was at ease and his were even more set on her.

* * *

 **I hope you guys liked this! And please leave me a review with your opinion about it! Was it too cute? Too cheesy? Too good (lol)?**

 **I love reading your reviews! Even if it is a question, I'll answer as fast as I can.**

 **BTW, from the beginning, I wanted Mermando to be her friend and they always liked each other, but never really happened, he was kind of Mabel's first love, sorta like in the cartoon, I guess.**

 **Oh, and after reviewing, you can check my profile for other stories or drawings on my DA link! I'll be posting Mabel's pirate outfit soon! :D**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	20. 19 - Help From an Unexpected Source

**Hi, guys! Here is finally chap 19! I hope you'll all enjoy and review! :D**

 **I just wanted to say thank you all for your reviews and support, it's very important for me!**

 **Oh, and it's so sad that GF is coming to an end, next episode will be the last and even though it will be a double episode, I'm still very sad with that... I wish there was at least another season before the end... u.u**

 **And yeah... this chap is still not edited, sorry... just deal with my non perfect grammar for a little while... u.u**

 ** **And I just wanted to answer a Guest review:****

Thanks! I'm glad to know it was worth the wait! Where do I get the cheesy lines? Well, I don't know, sometimes it just flows, sometimes I hear something similar on movies/series/books/fics, etc... But usually, it just comes to me, and it's usually just too cheesy, but so cute I can't resist... So, considering the definition of platonic love as "a type of love that is celibate and non-sexual", then the answer is yes! And the answer is yes again! I love writing jealous Dipper! And no, you're not annoying me one bit with your long review, in fact, the bigger, the better! If you should make an account? Well, this is really up to you, though I can tell you is actually good, even though you might not write or publish any fic, you can save your favorite stories and authors, you can follow them, so you'll receive a message whenever they update, and you can talk to the authors through PMs, for example, I could be answering this to you privately (and as soon as I can, instead of waiting the answer with the next chap). But I can't tell you if you should do this or not, I can just tell you what you can do with it. But if you do make an account and leave me a review, tell me and I'll be able to answer you through a PM! Anyway, thanks for reviewing! :D

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

 **Help From an Unexpected Source**

Dipper and Mabel walked out of the restaurant around half past two.

"You were right, it's really good in here. And the pasta was so delicious, I never tasted something like that before." So happy she was, she was in the verge of saunter in the way. He couldn't help but notice that her cheerfulness enlightened everything and everywhere they'd go like she's iridescent. He felt too lucky to ever meet her.

"You're too enthusiastic. It's a common restaurant, I bet they had wonderful cookers in the palace." Dipper told her remembering he had to grow up with his Grunkle's food. Not a good thing to do.

"Of course, but the food here is just different."

"It is another country, it's supposed to have its differences."

"There you are being so rational." And she rolled her eyes. "Speaking of this, why don't you show me that huge library?"

"Why would you want to see that, it's no news for you, you said there's a big library at the castle."

"Geez, silly. It's because you like it." For emphasis, she touched the tip of his nose, making fart-like noises before bursting into laughter. He laughed as well; her happiness is just contagious.

They were walking along the streets of the city, quite near the cliffs, where they could see the sea by the distance; it was the scenic route to the library, which turned out to be a big construction located in the furthest south part of the city.

It was a very calm day, relaxing even, for both of them. And so they strolled down the streets as if they got nothing to fear or bother them. That's always the moment when something important happens. This time was not different. As they walked hand in hand, watching the sea view that the scenic route provided, Mabel suddenly spotted a ship in the horizon, coming to port at the south section of the harbor. Her eyes widened and she gasped, squeezing his hands and pointing.

"Dip, look!" His eyes followed the direction she indicated. He gasped as well.

"Shit. How… Why are they here? They're supposed not to find us here! I hate the navy! They should be far away by now…"

"Dip, they can't see us. They'll probably want to take me back, and worst, they'll most likely try to kill you."

"They won't be able to."

"Don't even try to face them in combat. I don't want you to get hurt, do you hear me!" Her tone was fierce and mandatory as she lightly slapped him by the shoulder.

"Aye, aye, my princess. Your wish is my command."

"And don't try to use flattery when I'm mad."

"The thing is, we can't let them see us. Or our ship, I mean, even if we did disguise the ship, taking out pirate elements and putting on a different label for the name, they can still recognize it and try to explore inside it."

"I don't think they could just enter and investigate if you say you're from another country and considering we're not in their territory." Mabel pointed out, after all, she had been taught a bit of diplomacy and political stuff her whole life. "But we need to focus on the problem at hand. They can't see us by any chance."

"You're right. Let's just go before they start getting out of the harbor, we'll need to tell the captain we need to hurry out now."

She nodded and then he tightened up his grip on her hand and started pulling her inside the city, he started walking so fast he was almost breaking into a sprint. He barely looked at where he was going since he started backing down where they were and so it was no surprise he'd bump into someone before they even get far enough.

The problem was that he bumped in a very rich-looking noble with somewhat of an arrogant expression he though every noble would have until he met Mabel. Mumbling an apologize, he kept pulling Mabel away. But of course it wouldn't be that easy.

One of the knights by the noble's side grabbed him by the coat and asked how he dared to bump into their prince. _Great, just what I need, another problem to deal with._ Dipper thought to himself, rolling his chestnut eyes with a frown and very annoyed. His right hand was slowly reaching his sword's handle by instinct.

That's when Mabel surprised everyone by jumping and hugging the strange nobleman. Yes, _hugging_ and squeaking in happiness to top that.

Dipper's jaw fell to the floor and his arms fell limp to his sides, he as saw flabbergasted that he couldn't say a word. Even the knights were surprised; it took them a while to react. The first one who did something started to reach for Mabel's shoulder to push her away, Dipper finally woke up from his state of full surprise and his hand immediately grabbed the sword's handle. No one was going to hurt his girl on his watch.

However, before he even have the chance to take the blade out of the case, the noble held up his hand in a way to indicate them to stop the knight from getting close. She retreated just enough to face him with that beautiful bright open smile on her lips.

"Mabel?"

"Of course it's me, you silly!"

"How dare you, woman! He's our prince and you will show respect-" One of the knights started to say with a very mandatory voice, but he was abruptly interrupted by his prince.

"Silence. Give us space and privacy." The three knights did not hesitate in backing away, but they stayed close enough to keep an eye on their prince. The noble looked at Dipper for a moment and then back at Mabel, point at the pirate carelessly. "Who would that be?"

" _He_ is a friend of mine." She used emphasis on the 'he' as if a warning not to mistreat him again by calling him a thing.

"This person looks like a filthy pirate." He said the last word as if it was the worst insult ever. Dipper clenched his fists, he's always been very proud of being a pirate so it only made him angrier.

"It doesn't matter what he is or how he looks like, Mermando." Dipper widened. So this nobble, this prince, is her friend from Marenia. That's why she's acting so irritatingly close to him.

"Mabel, you don't understand. God! I thought they got you, I thought they killed you, for crying out loud!" Mermando exclaimed, but he managed to contain himself not to call any attention. "But I'm so glad you're unharmed."

Dipper couldn't help but wonder what was he talking about. They were pirates; at first all they wanted was the money. Killing her wouldn't lead to anything. Is this prince stupid or what?

"What? No, Mermando. I'm fine. And have you grown since I last seen you? You look so tall."

As if Dipper didn't feel diminished enough. He's never been the tallest person around his age, though he was still growing. Mabel's height was almost around his nose, in counterpart, her height was about Mermando's shoulder. However, the prince ignored her last question since it wasn't so important at the moment.

"Great. Come with me, then. I'll take you home safely." He politely put a hand on her waist as if he wanted to push her with him, but she held her feet in place and held his sleeves.

"Please don't." Mabel's soft plea voice was enough to melt and shatter anyone's heart. Mermando took a deep breath. "I don't want to go back."

"But, Mabel, everyone's worried sick."

"I know, it hurts me to cause it but I can't go back." Her eyes were watery. It really hurt her to worry her aunt, her father and her friends, but she made a choice and Dipper knew that was a reason for that, otherwise she wouldn't want to leave the palace so badly.

"Of course you can. I'll escort you back. My knights will protect you."

"You know I never wanted to be there. This is my chance to be free."

Mermando sighed. He knew that, he always knew, but at the same time, he knew they couldn't just walk away from what they were born to do. "Mabel, we are royals. We don't have such privileges."

Dipper looked down with sadness. This guy is not only Mabel's childhood friend, he also shared something that connected them, something that Dipper would never truly understand no matter hoe he tried because he was never raised to carry the responsibility of an entire nation on his shoulders.

He never grasped the difference between he and his girl until that moment and it somehow hurt to know they were so different. And it only make him wonder how she got enough courage to leave everything behind and keep her choice to never go back. It must be something very difficult for her, not only because of her family and friends.

"Don't you dare give me this stupid speech. You also never wanted it or the responsibilities that come with it, like with your own arranged marriage."

"We are getting along just fine now. I'm starting to like her; she will be a good wife someday. Maybe prince Gideon will be a good husband too."

"It's different. This is my chance to run away. Gideon seems nice and all but I can't marry him, I don't love him."

"Does it have something to do with this… pirate?" He glanced back at Dipper who was feeling lonely and defeated without even fighting. The pirate frowned angrily and he clenched his fists even harder until his knuckles turn white.

"Dipper has nothing to do with it."

"Wait, are you seriously in love with him? He's not fit to you."

Dipper's heart sank even lower than it already was. Usually, he can be very secure of himself, but this prince guy could make him feel as the worst person in the world by the way he talked with despise. He knows she is a princess and therefor is used to so much better stuff than he could offer. And what could he offer, really? A life of danger inside a ship in the middle of the ocean. It's not a life fit for a princess.

Meanwhile, his statement just irritated Mabel.

"You're definitely not the one to judge that, Mermando. And as I just said, he has nothing to do with it. I don't want to marry Gideon, please don't make me go back."

"But you're going with him? He can't protect you."

By then, Dipper was so mad he wanted to just grab his sword and cut this prince's throat, but he knows despite everything he is Mabel's friends and she'd never forgive him I he did something like that.

"I don't need protection."

"Of course you do. You don't know ho much you need it!" Both Royals were discussing with harsh tone of voice, but they managed not to yell and get much attention, just some people passed and mindlessly looked at them as they quarrel.

"Why are you saying that?"

"Well, first you've been kidnapped in your own castle!"

"It might sound crazy, but it was a good thing."

"Is there something else bothering you, Mabel? Maybe I can help."

"Mermando, you're only the crown prince of Marenia. There's nothing you can do."

"I'm soon going to be the king and as a king, I can help a friend in need and an allied nation."

"That's not enough. What I need is something much more than that: a miracle. Dipper is my miracle."

The young pirate raised his head to look at her, his eyes full of hope and surprise. His heart skipped a beat, starting to feel better at hearing this. Did his ears deceive him or did she really say that he is her miracle? _Her_ miracle. Her _miracle_. No one could top that. His hands suddenly relax and a small proud smile started to form in his lips.

"But…" Mermando tried to complain, but she stopped him.

"If you have any affection for me at all you will not take me back. Instead, you'll help me go away. Can I count on you with that?"

"Of course. I know that we have our roles were reversed, no matter what; you'd always help me without I even need to ask it. You can always count on me."

"Thank you."

"What do you need, my princess?" Mermando's voice was soft and caring now.

"At the harbor, a navy ship from my country just ported. They've seen us and they're after us. We need a decoy so we can run away without being seen by them. I need you to make some distraction, any kind of distraction. The officers can not see us."

"Sure. I'll think of something. You just hide and be ready to departure."

"Thank you, Mermando. You're the best."

And so she rose on her tiptoes to lightly kiss his cheek, he had to lean a little or she'd only kiss his chin. This time, Dipper was not feeling so jealous and diminished just because of what she said moment ago. Though that doesn't mean he wasn't at least a little bothered by the sight.

Mabel turned around to face Dipper and she reached to grab his hand saying that they needed to go. As she started walking, he went after her, but was suddenly stopped when Mermando grabbed him by the collar and leaned to quickly whisper on the pirate's ear.

"She chose you. Make it worth it. You don't know how lucky you are."

"You're wrong. I know." Mermando let Dipper go and he rapidly followed his girl.

The prince of Marenia sighed and ran a hand around his chin as he thought about what he could do as a diversion. He knew it had to be fast, though. He called his knights and asked for a piece of paper and envelope, suddenly having a great idea of how to send them away very fast.

As he got to the south part of the huge and long harbor, he saw the naval ship. Then, he approached the one that he was sure to be the captain, not only he was the wisest looking man, he also had the uniform a little different from the others as if to indicate he was more important. Mermando asked if he was the captain just to be on the safe side, though. After his suspicious was confirmed, the prince began a request.

"I'm Mermando, crown prince of Marenia and given the treaty my country have with yours, I must admit I'm enormously pleased to see you here. I have a favor to ask. I need this letter to be delivered in hand to my mother and father, queen and king of Marenia immediately; however, I cannot leave now or dispose anyone to go. If you act on y behalf, I will for sure personally talk to your king and I'm sure he'll compensate you for doing this favor for the prince of an allied nation."

"Your Royal Highness, we'd be pleased to attend your wishes, however, we're in a very important mission. We found the princess of our country and we need to take her back to our king immediately."

"The princess? How come? I heard she was kidnapped by pirates."

"The rumors are true, Your Royal Highness. We've seen her and she managed to escape with them again."

"Escape with them? The way you say it seems like she went willingly."

"She did. We saw her jumping on the pirate ship." By then, Mermando started laughing, but managing to contain himself not to laugh too loud and mockingly. The captain raised an eyebrow, nervous and irritated.

"Forgive me, captain, but I believe you've been deceived. Have you ever seen the princess before? Are you certain she was really the princess? She could be an imposter." Mermando was only certain to say something like that because he knew Mabel had never met any man fro the navy, maybe only met a few admirals that went to the palace to have a word with the king.

"An imposter? That would be outrageous."

"The real princess would never go with filthy pirates willingly. Everyone knows that. She was probably a member of the pirate's crew they use to go inside naval ships to see if there's anything worth stealing."

"But, she knew the princess have been taken."

"Of course, by now the news have spread like fire in the a hot dry summer. Your entire kingdom probably knows by now and she most likely just took advantage of it. I know the princess and I know she'd never go with them by her own free will. Now forget about the fake princess, if she's smart, she won't say something stupid like that again, we all know the penalty for saying you're royalty is death, if she keeps it up, she'll get caught one way or another."

"You're most certainly right, Your Royal Highness. In this case, since there's a lot of urgency needed, we'll accept to attend you immediately. We depart in less than an hour."

Then, the captain turned to his other officers and commanded them to get everything ready in that instant before he took the letter from Mermando. The prince and his knights turned to leave, saying he had busyness to take care of.

One of the knights, the closer to him and the one who was even considered a friend got closer to his prince.

"Sorry, Your Grace, but what is the urgent matter in the letter?"

"Nothing, my friend. That's the thing. I just needed an excuse to draw them away."

"I understand, my prince. By the way, that girl, I didn't recognize her at first when I tried to draw her away, but thinking back, isn't she princess Mabel?"

"Yes, that was she. And she asked me to. You know I could never deny something she asks me." Mermando said in a low voice, so only his loyal knight would hear, and so the man simply nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Dipper and Mabel finally got to Roderick's ship; quickly telling him what was going on. The pirate captain ordered both of them, Soos and Robbie to stay out of sight, since they were the ones who entered the naval ship. In fact, Roderick also disguised himself even better and tried to stay out of sight for as long as the crew finished to stock everything they needed. And luckily, they were about to finish when Dipper and Mabel got there, earlier then expected.

As soon as the ship was ready, they departed going north. They would head to Salus City, therefor, they needed to go south-east, however, they now new the naval ship docked by the south so they'd make a turn going north-east first. At the same time the pirate ship left the harbor, the naval ship was doing the same, heading south towards Marenia.

"Mabel, do you think that prince guy really won't tell anyone? Or the guard that were with him, perhaps?"

He asked as soon as Anwril City was out of sight. Since no ship was around, people felt at ease, they were not being followed and the navy men were apparently far away. They were all safe now. But of course, something always kept bothering the young pirate.

"They won't, Dipperton. I trust Mermando and he won't turn his back on me."

"What about the guard? The knights with him."

"They're loyal to their prince." Mabel explained calmly with a smile on her lips. They were standing in the gun deck, and she watched the sea ahead by a window in the middle of the deck. Dipper crossed his arms stubbornly.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Oh, Dipper. You're so innocent. A prince wouldn't walk around with people he doesn't trust. A king may be born to be one, but he'll never be a ruler if he doesn't have loyal subjects. There'll always be people that want to serve and would die for their king or queen. Being loyal to a prince or princess is just the first step some men take."

"Well, if you're so sure they won't turn on us, then I trust we're safe." He admitted trying to draw his worries away.

"Thanks, Dip."

Then, Dipper leaned closer to her, his voice coming lower this time, as there was men coming back and forward around the deck. By instinct, she approached him as well, but she contained herself since they had agreed in keeping their relationship a secret until everything was settled. Looking at her, he still couldn't believe she thinks of him as her miracle.

"By the way, Mabel. There's something I needed to talk to you. I know I've been teaching you the basics of how to defend yourself, but I want you to better, to fight properly. And I know you want it too."

"Yes, we talked about it, you said you're going to teach me how to swordfight." Her excitement was obvious even from afar.

"No, that's not enough. I want to teach you everything. And you're not going on a raid or expose yourself until I say so, okay? I can't go in a fight thinking I need to protect you. You need to be safe until I know you can take care of yourself. You'll have to wait and be patient, learning to fight takes time."

"Okay, then. I promise I won't do anything crazy and I'll try to have at least some sense of self-preservation." She raised her hands for emphasis in a joking-like tone, but she meant it anyway. He smiled, but it was a small one.

"I'd really like that. I can't lose you, Mabel."

"I wish I could kiss you right now. I can't lose you too, you hear me? Now, when will you begin to teach me to fight?"

"Now. I'm going to teach you how to throw knives." He announced taking proper knives and daggers from their hidden places.

Throwing knives would be perfect for a start. It was not heavy, so she could train a lot per day and she might need how to attack someone when they're not so close. It might be a little hard, but the thing is, swordfight takes a lot longer to master and she needed to get used to the weight of the sword first.

Besides, he needed her to start mastering anything so he could not worry at her so much, because he knew it might draw away his attention. And that's not something anyone would one in the middle of a battle.

"What? But I want to swordfight." Her tone was stubborn.

"We'll get to that, soon. But first things first. Take off you cloak; it might get in the way."

"Okay, okay…" She mumbled as he position her a little bit more than seven feet from the gun deck's bow.

There was nothing on it besides the wood of the ship, and she never noticed there were marks all over it. She soon guessed this is the place where the crew practices this kind of sport.

The wood seemed very thick so it wasn't like the blades would go throw it and damage the ship too much and the stairs were far so it wasn't like someone would walk near it and get hurt. It was the perfect place for training.

"First, I'm going to show you how to grip the blade the right way." Dipper said as the lesson began.

* * *

 **I hope you all liked this chap! And please leave me a review! E** **ven if it is a question, I'll answer as fast as I can!**

 **And I'd like to know what you imagined the "unexpected source" could be? Did you like Mermando? What did you think about his interaction with Mabel? What do you think could happen next? Just tell me in a review! :D**

 **Oh, and after reviewing, you can check my profile for other stories or drawings on my DA link! I'll be posting Mabel's pirate outfit soon! :D**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	21. 20 - Deep Jealousy

**Hi, guys! Here is finally chap 20!**

 **And yeah... this chap is still not edited, sorry...**

 **BTW, There's a fanfic contest on Inkitt, and I've put this story to compete. If you're liking it so far, please go there and vote for me and/or leave reviews, this will certainly help me a lot! I left the link on my profile and here it is as well (you just have to copy, paste and delete the spaces): ww kit t Mar ilia_Bar bosa**

 **Now, answering a Guest review: If you do this, when you have some time, review, saying it's you! lol. He's very nice indeed, and a really good friend! I hope you're gonna like the knife throwing practices in this chap! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 20**

 **Deep Jealousy**

"You don't need to worry about getting yourself cut, only the point of the blade is sharp enough to do any damage and you're not touching it."

"Okie-dokie!" Mabel said and Dipper showed her how to hold the blade the right way, using her left hand, for she uses this one.

Both were standing just a little more than 2 meters away from the bow of the ship at the gun's deck.

He was behind her, showing how she needed to move her whole body to throw the knife. It was a great excuse to touch her even if anyone could pass and see them. Her right foot was in front of her and her torso was a little turned so she could lead her arm right behind her.

"Yes, now, you'll do this movement forward." He made her move slowly to show her the right way. "And then, when your arm is right ahead of you, you throw it. Ready?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed like an excited little girl.

"And, Mabel, one more important thing, when in battle, do not throw a knife if you're not going to kill the person that is attacking you." She looked back at him with a concerned expression in a frown. The mood suddenly turned very dense very quickly.

"What?"

"You heard me. I know it's hard for you to understand it, but when we're fighting, it's life or death, so don't let it be death for you."

"But then, I'm going to kill someone?" She didn't know if it was a question or not, though it sounded like one.

"Only if you need it and only to save your life. Don't be sad and don't let it hold you back. You might never forget the people you kill, but you survive."

"Okay…" Her whisper went out low and sorrowful.

"You'll understand, eventually. When it's time. If you throw and don't hit the person, you'll only give them a weapon to kill you. And don't ever throw everything and stay without a weapon. Throwing knives are usually only a last resort, being it to distract the opponent or delay him, it will only give you time to run away, but you have to get some strategy in mind, otherwise you'll only lose a knife."

"Will you also teach me how to use a knife in close range?"

"Of course. It's just that it's something you can train by yourself and it doesn't make you too tired like swordfight would. And I want you to do it for as long as you can until we get back to Salus City. Though you don't need to be crazy like me and train with each arm until I could barely move them…"

"Geez, how am I ever be good at it? You've ben training for what? Years? Maybe ten or something…"

"Yeah, something around that. I trained a lot everyday, but, Mabel; you've got a gift. You can throw a grappling hook as well as I do after I've trained for years. If you really engage on doing it, you'll be mastering a lot of fighting stuff quite quickly."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. Now try to make the movement to throw the knife without me guiding you and try to release the blade in the right moment."

Mabel promptly nodded and copied the movement, releasing the blade when she understood was the best timing. The knife left her hand and swooshed towards the wooden bow of the ship, only to hit it and fall down.

"What? How come? Wasn't it supposed to enter the wood?"

"Yeah, but don't worry, it will take some time. Try to throw it more precisely, like you're trying to point something with your finger."

"Wouldn't it be better if you just showed me?"

"Okay then."

Dipper said and she gave him some other knifes she was going to use for the training. He got the blade, his arm bent behind his head and then he threw. With a sharp "clang", the blade entered the wood. Dipper did it again, this time, using the left hand. Once again, the metal entered the wood right besides the first one.

"Wow. It's so cool!" She said. "You look like that skinny pirate guy, but you actually have a lot of abilities, don't you?"

"Geez, Mabel, way to go and make me feel proud of myself…" He mumbled under his breath.

"Oh, you paranoid one, I only meant that appearances could be deceiving."

"Oh, come on, I'm not skinny. I'm not buff either, but I'm not that weak looking."

"I know that, I've seen you, remember?" She said with a side grin, her eyes tracing him up and down and then back up to his now red face. "It's just that you're so young and everyone in the crew is just so buff it makes you look smaller. However, it doesn't mean you're weak."

"Now, let me try again. By the way, if people use to train in here, how there isn't a hole in there?"

"Do you think my dad would just let the crew practice here like that damaging his ship? Not really. He ordered to put a board touching the bow of the ship so people can practice and when the board is too worn out, he commands to change it. Brilliant, isn't it?"

"I suppose so. And it will make me feel less guilty if I ever make the blade stick inside the wood. Give me another knife."

He handed her the next one and she took position once again. She was not giving up.

At the other side of the gun deck, Wendy was holding a bottle of rum standing near Robbie, who was lying on a net, covering his head with his arms so he could rest. She observed the two with a smile on her face. Dipper might have been a bit mad with her, but he and Mabel had definitely grown closer, especially after the rescue from the navy. She wondered if Dipper made a move on Mabel, it kinda seemed like it, but maybe only because she knows him well, for the rest of the crew, they probably didn't notice since they wouldn't pay attention to that.

Robbie heard her approaching and she offered the bottle to him. Robbie had to spy behind his arm to look at the bottle and get it from her hands.

"Hey, don't you think they're cute together?"

"What?" He asked after a long swig.

"Those two. They're cute together. I'd like if Mabel stayed, and she seems like she wants to stay, don't you think?" She looked at them in the other side of the deck, throwing knives so close to each other. He followed her gaze and shrugged.

"Yeah, whatever. I still think she deserves something better."

Wendy felt like an imaginary dagger just pierced her soul and she smelled a rat, raising an eyebrow. What is he talking about? She deserves better? Did he say it because he really hates Dipper or because he really thinks that high of her?

"Would you like her to stay?"

"I don't have a say in it. It's beyond me. Or you."

"But would you like that?"

"Geez, Wendy, stop being so annoying. Maybe I would, so what? She's kinda nice anyway. Now let me go back to sleep."

She frowned. Why did he have to say it like that? Okay, so Robbie was definitely not a gentleman and all but he didn't have to say in such a rude manner like he's tired or irritated with Wendy. She grabbed her bottle back and just walked away drinking and mumbling, "Who does he think he is?" under her breath.

A few hours passed, Dipper had to attend his duties and so he left Mabel training. She wanted to practice, though she preferred to have his company. She's usually looking at the bright side of everything and hardly choses to give up, but she was already starting to get frustrated. Why it had to take so long for her to finally get it right?

The sun was already setting and she was hungry. She knew it was time to stop but she wanted so much to stick the sharp point of the blade in the wooden target ahead. However, she knew the daylight wouldn't last long.

"Try to swing your hand too. Twist your wrist just a little bit before you throw. It will make the knife turn the right way." Robbie's comment behind her made her jump in surprise. She turned to face him.

"What do you mean? Isn't it what I just did?"

"No." He grabbed her wrist and moved it gently. "That's what you should do."

Mabel looked at him still puzzled but tried anyway. And surprisingly, she managed to make the blade enter the target. It was far away from what she wanted or expected it to go, but it was progress nonetheless.

"I did it! I finally did it! Thanks Robbie!" She jumped and hugged him.

Robbie froze in surprise, not moving a muscle. He didn't expect that and he doesn't really know how to interact with a girl, especially like that. The only girl he really can be close with is Wendy and she doesn't act like that, just openly hugging people with an open warm heart and beautiful smile. Even though he liked her warmth, he looked to the sides as if he is uncomfortable. And looking away, he saw Dipper coming from the main deck.

The second in command pirate looked at them and raised an eyebrow, feeling like one of the sharp point of a knife had just had swooshed and landed right inside his heart. He was just starting to feel good after she said he is her miracle, but that doesn't make him immune to jealousy. And he hates to see his girl so close to another man.

Dipper took a deep breath and clenched his fists. Trying to control the anger, he stomped and made his way to their direction.

"Dipper, look! I got it right. Well, more or less, I it's not where I waned to and the handle is too down in comparison to the point, but I stick it into the wood. It took me all day, really. Is it usually so hard?"

"Yes. It's not a piece of cake. Anyway, it's almost dark; soon, we'd have to light up a trace of candles to the bow so you can see it."

"I know, I'll have to keep doing it tomorrow. By the way, thanks again for the help, Robbie." Dipper glared at him, who just ignored. The young man then just shrugged and went downstairs.

"Now, come with me, I want to show you something before dinner." Dipper said grabbing her hand and gently pulling her back upstairs to the main deck. From there, they entered the officers' quarter's corridor. Mabel said she already knew her chambers, but he just kept silently pulling her.

They stopped in front of her temporary room and he opened it, telling her to go inside and see if there was something unusual. With a raised eyebrow, she entered the room.

There was nothing out of ordinary at first, the bed was made and left as always, the drawer had everything, and the hatch-like window was the way he remembered she left it. And then, there it was, right besides the drawer in the space between the open door and the wooden furniture there was a barrel. How in the world she missed that when she entered? Okay, so maybe she was looking ahead inside the room, but it was a big barrel that just skipped her sight.

"Is it what I think it is?"

"Maybe."

"So you remembered that I said I wanted a barrel of water just for me." He nodded in agreement.

"Of course. I remember every minute with you."

"Oh, Dip, that's so sweet! I love you."

And then Mabel jumped forward and kissed him. He quickly closed the door behind him to give them some privacy, but there was no one around there anyway. Smiling, his lips were pressed against her and his arms quickly made his way to her waist, pulling her closer.

Dipper felt her opening her mouth just a little, he took the lead and deepened the kiss. If he knew a barrel of water would grant him a kiss like that he'd have put it there a long time ago. He had to stop before he got too caught up in it and lose control, which is easy to do around her.

"Since you love me, can you do a favor for me?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Stay away from Robbie."

She looked to the right and then to the left, trying to understand his request.

"Say what?"

"You heard me. Stay away from Robbie."

"You're saying this because you saw when I hugged him? Dip, is not like I ran after him or something. He just helped me, that's all."

"It doesn't matter, I don't like to see you around him. I don't even like him when he looks at you."

"Dipper, is it about Wendy? Because she fell for him? I'm not Wendy."

Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be he still has feelings for the red haired girl? Or does he have some sort of trauma or obsession wit the way Robbie acts? Mabel knew those thoughts were ridiculous, but she couldn't help them and she couldn't help but feel uneasy. She always thought he would never really like her to begin with, so it was easy for her to imagine he was not interested any longer.

"Of course you're not her. I just can't see you with another man. Any man, even that snobby prince that is your friend. All I wanted to do was push you away from his arms. The thing is, Robbie bothers me. He has issues with me and I with him. Besides, he's the only man around our age in the ship."

"Dip, you have nothing to fear, I don't like him that way. I'm not going to be rude to him or ignore him. So don't t tell me whom I can be around with or not. Don't try to control me."

Dipper gulped, his eyebrows were frowned looking at her serious expression.

"Fine." And it was all he could say.

Mabel suggested it was time for dinner and he agreed. In silence, they went downstairs to the galley. They got a plate with food and searched for a table to sit at. Mabel spotted Soos nearby, sitting alone. She quickly made her way to sit next to him. Dipper followed and when he was about to put his plate by her side, Robbie suddenly did it first.

Dipper froze in surprise, glaring deadly imaginary daggers at him. Robbie just ignored him, though. Dipper found himself having to sit across from her and Robbie. But the 16-year-old boy was not the only one who saw the situation and didn't like it; Wendy was there as well. And so she sat across from Soos, oblivious to the intense mood at the able because of Robbie.

The truth is that since the day Mabel fixed his vest and found out about his true reason to despise Dipper, something changed inside him towards the princess. Although he was sure he didn't like her in a romantic way, he still doesn't like to see her near Dipper. Not because he despises the younger pirate, but because he could not bear to see her with another man. Especially Dipper. It was something Robbie just couldn't understand.

Mabel looked confused at Dipper from across the table with a puzzled look, as if she was trying to say it was not her fault. Meanwhile, Wendy, by Dipper's side, was glaring at Robbie and Mabel. Her mind running miles per second with a lot of thoughts like if he was starting to like her to what does she has that was so special, besides she being a princess, of course.

Oblivious to the glaring from the people at the table, Soos started with small talks.

"It's a wonderful night, isn't it?" Everyone stayed in silence, while Soos just couldn't take the hint and shut up. In fact, he made things more embarrassing. "Romantic, don't you think? I wish Melody were here. We could watch the sea, kiss by the moonlight… What would you guys do in a romantic night like tonight?"

It was kind of an awkward dinnertime, but it was about to get worse soon.

* * *

The next morning, Mabel spent the day training to throw knives. She soon found it quite exiting, even if it wasn't always that she managed to stick the blade into the wood. When she began, Dipper gave her a few more tips and he had to go to the navigation room and help Roderick with route course and use the helm as well. Apparently, Dipper was one of the few inside the ship that knew how to use a sextant and do the math, which was important to know where to go.

So once again she was left alone training. And she liked it; she could see herself doing things like that for the rest of her life. It was way better than coming back to the palace anyway. Almost two hours had passed since she began the training and then Wendy showed up.

The red haired girl is a good person and she likes Mabel very much, however, she was taken by anger and jealousy. Wendy couldn't understand why Robbie was recently giving her so much attention and she didn't like it at all.

She's always been used to be the only girl around a bunch of men, therefor being the center of attention. Now the attention was all in someone else, including her boyfriend's. Usually, Wendy has to endure him looking at other girls when they were on shores, but the kind of attention he disposed to random girls was different, it was less caring.

And another thing that increased Wendy's furiousness was the fact that Mabel just had a talent for everything, even fighting. The princess was doing way better in throwing knives than her the first time she tried to do so. And all of it was not helping her nerves. So she just snapped.

"Oh, so now you're not only a well-educated and feminine highborn you're also becoming skilled in fighting? You've got to be kidding me." Her voice was harsh and bitter.

"What? Wendy what's up? Did I do something to make you mad at me?" Mabel asked confused and stunned by her friend's sudden harsh words.

"You just can't be good at everything!" The red haired was almost shouting, but the majority of the crew around wasn't paying much attention, they were probably used to this kind of situation, and usually, when the men fought with each other, they usually use their fists as well as their voices and that's the interesting part to watch.

"Good at everything? Wendy, have you seen me cooking? You know I'm terrible at it to begin with. You're not yourself right now."

"Stop trying to be funny. And stop being so irritatingly pretty. Don't you see that's the only reason he's looking at you?"

"What?"

In fact, Mabel wasn't sad by Wendy's anger because she knew Wendy wasn't like that and that she didn't mean to hurt her. But it did hurt nonetheless. The worst part was that Mabel didn't even know what she did to make her friend snap at her like that.

"Wendy! Stop nagging. Mabel doesn't deserve that." Robbie exclaimed approaching as soon as he noticed the girl's quarrel.

"Oh, so now you're defending her too? What's wrong with you? You hated her just the other day!"

"What's wrong with _you_? You're the one acting weird. Are you in that time of the month again? Yeah I guess that's about right…" Robbie wondered out loud wondering what day was it. The problem is that when a man asks that to a woman, it will only maker her even angrier.

"Oh, shut up!" She hit him and stormed away to her chambers.

Robbie looked at Mabel for a moment, she was confused and wondering what the hell had just happened. Then, he walked away after his girlfriend.

Somehow he knew she headed towards her room and he went right after, opening the door without even knocking and then slamming shut behind him.

"Okay, what the hell was that all about?"

"I should be the one asking that! Seriously, what's into you? You hated her just the other day now you're so soft with her. Do you like her? Is that it? Are you attracted to her?"

"What? No!" He yelled gesturing with his arms while he spoke.

The room was narrow, in his left side there was her bad and in his right, her drawer. There was only a narrow corridor until the hatch-like window. The door was right behind him and the furious girl was inches ahead.

"Well, then maybe it is something to do with Dipper? He liked me first and then you suddenly took interest in me. Now that it seems that he likes her, you're all over her as well?"

"No! He has nothing to do with it. And I already liked you before; it just took me a while to make my move because I was out being a pirate when you and him were in land. I only had the chance to really hit on you when you chose the life of piracy." Robbie explained. And it was true, he was out for months in a roll how he could ever hit on her like that?

"Oh, so I'm only dating-material when there's no other girl for you?" There was fire in her forest green eyes during her nervous wreck.

"You know it's not true, Wendy!" He sighed.

"Then what is it? Is it just because you found out that she is a nice highborn girl instead of the nag little princess you though she was?"

"Well, maybe. But I never said I like her like that. I just. I don't know I don't like to see her near a man."

"So you admit you love her." Wendy deduced crossing her arms. She gave one step back, as if she just wants to stay away from him.

"No! I just meant that she's nice, smart and sweet and I just feel like I want to protect her."

"Oh, then just go after her if she's so perfect!"

"Wendy, are you jealous?" It took him a long while to notice the obvious.

"Shut up! You know nothing! Just go after her and forget me."

She turned to look away, taking deep breaths to calm down. He was also having a hard time keep his nerves under control. He huffed angrily but his voice was a bit softer than expected.

"I can't I love you, silly." Hearing that, Wendy turned again to face him, no longer with her arms crossed but raised as a question gesture, though she wanted to clench her fists.

"Then why you're so interested in her?"

Robbie huffed and ran his hands in his dark messy locks of hair. Then, he shrugged.

"I don't know."

"Why?" She insisted.

"I don't know!" He repeated irritated and letting his voice get higher until he suddenly stopped to wonder for a minute. "I don't know, I just care for her. I care for her like…" And then a sudden realization made him stop.

"Like what?" Wendy asked impatient and crossing her arms. He looked at her, seriousness in his dark intense blue eyes but a small smile in his lips.

"I guess I care for her like a little sister."

Thinking back, Robbie was really treating her like a sister, he didn't want to see her getting hurt in anyway. And he definitely didn't want any man close to her romantically as if it was going to immaculate her child-like innocence and purity, at the same time, he far from having a romantic interest in her. Now it was so clear and obvious for him.

"What?"

"Yeah. I guess that's it. She's like the little sister I never had. A bit irritating and she can make me nervous but at the same time, I don't want any harm to hurt her. Crazy, right?"

Wendy looked at him suspiciously from head to toe and then back up, one red eyebrow raised up high. Once again, she crossed her arms, but this time it was less ferocious.

"Indeed. Are you sure you don't want to kiss her or do other stuff to her? She's very pretty." Her voice was now calm and softer than before and his voice came normal with an 'it's obvious' tone.

"Yeah, but she's not you. She's pretty but you're hot." And it's true, for Robbie, Mabel is just too sweet and innocent-like. He likes to talk dirty and he needs a woman that can stand this kind of stuff and wants to have fun like him. And she's the only one that makes him feel like a real man. Mabel was not a woman for him in the first place.

"Okay, I'm liking where this conversation is going, now."

"Me too. So, are we okay now?"

"Unless you're lying to me, I guess so. But if I see you again too close to her I'll stab you."

"I didn't know you could be so jealous. I told you she's like a sister."

"But she's not. And since we're on the subject, you better pretend you're blind when we're on the land or I'll have to kick you in a place it will hurt."

"You know what? I like it when you're jealous. You're so sexy."

"Oh, shut up." She barely had time to finish the sentence before he started kissing her passionately. Wendy started to kiss him back and they only had time to lock the door before things got hotter inside her chambers.

* * *

 **I hope you all liked this chap! And please leave me a review!**

 **It was actually a fun chap to write, basically because I like to see a jealous Dipper. And because I like some character development. I hope you all liked reading it! :D**

 **Oh, and after reviewing, you can check my profile for other stories or drawings on my DA link!**

 **Oh, and don't forget to visit my Inkitt account, t** **here's a fanfic contest there and I've put this story to compete. If you're liking it so far, please go there and vote for me and/or leave reviews, this will certainly help me a lot!** **I left the link on my profile and here it is as well (you just have to copy, paste and delete the spaces): ww kit t Mar ilia_Bar bosa**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	22. 21 - A Little Bit of Cold Hard Truth

**Hi! I'm sorry it took so long...**

 **And just answering a Guest Review: I don't think Robbie cares about explaining that to Dipper, but even if he did try, I doubt Dipper would believe him, lol...**

 **So, I think some people might start hating me and might even yell at me on reviews, so please read the final notes after doing it!**

* * *

 **Chapter 21**

 **A Little Bit of Cold Hard Truth**

It took Wendy and Robbie a long while to finally get out of her chambers, and she knew what she had to do then. Wendy searched for Mabel immediately. It wasn't hard to find her since they were in a ship and therefore there aren't many places to look.

The princess was at the galley, sitting at a table with a plate of food for lunch in front of her, but she wasn't eating, instead, she was just rubbing her arms, they were probably sore from training all morning and the previous afternoon. Throwing knives is not a sport so tiring in comparison to a lot others like sword fighting, however, it doesn't mean it's not tiring at all, even though she was training with both hands, since Dipper said it was a good idea to know how to use both.

Wendy made her way to the table and sat in front of Mabel.

"Hi. I know I freaked out a couple hours ago. I'm so sorry."

Mabel looked up, glaring. The truth is that only one person ever treated her that way and it was her despising cousin Pacifica. The royal girl used to be a nag and tried to make the princess life hell by just being a pain in the ass. She could handle Pacifica in her nervous-wreck, though.

But the princess was not used to anyone else being so rude to her and the surprise was so grand it prevented her from doing anything else but to stand astonished hearing everything. Some rudeness and annoyance she was used to deal with, and therefore she had an answer for various retorts and demands. Not that time, though.

"I'm really, really sorry." Wendy continued after a few moments of Mabel not speaking to her and just deviating her look as if she was trying to ignore her. "Please forgive me."

Mabel sighed. Although she was mad, Wendy was still her friend, one of the few she has and she didn't want to lose her. Besides, deep down, she knew Wendy didn't mean all that she said, the pirate girl was just angry.

"I's okay, I know you're not usually like that. I just wanted to know what did I do wrong."

"You did nothing wrong. I was just stupid because I was jealous I thought that Robbie might be attracted to you..."

"Oh..." That was surprising.

"He isn't, he assured me. But Gosh, I'm so embarrassed by the way I treated you, it was so stupid... Again, I'm so sorry! You're such s nice girl, I shouldn't have taken my anger on you..."

"It's okay. I know you're not like that…"

"So... Are we good?"

"Sure." Mabel said starting to eat, and then she remembered something important. "By the way, Wendy, do you have some scissors to lend me?"

"I guess so. Why?"

Mabel looked around, there wasn't people of the crew too close to hear them, so she decided it'd be safe. Leaning across the table, the princess explained in a very low voice.

"Well, the thing is, I don't want to go back to the palace. I want to stay here and be a pirate girl like you with Dip. So I was thinking about doing some pirate clothes for me."

"That'd be necessary. Dresses aren't really good for a pirate, it's harder to move properly."

"Exactly. Dip said he'd find a way so I can stay. He said all he needs to do is find enough money so the crew can be satisfied. He's doing everything he can to help me, I'm so lucky to meet him." Mabel said playing with her food as she got started get ready to eat. There was a smile on her lips, she felt so safe around him.

"Is something going on between you two?"

The galley wasn't full nor empty, but the people in there were minding their own business. Mabel looked up immediately and then she looked around and then back at her friend in front of her.

"What? No. Of course not. Why are you saying that?"

"It's so cute, you're a terrible liar just like Dipper. No, wait, you're actually better than him but there is something going on!"

"How could you tell?"

"Oh, it was obvious by the way your eyes got brighter when speaking of him. It's so cute. And the way you acted just now."

"Just speak lower. It's a secret." Wendy shrugged.

"But why?"

Mabel sighed sadly and let go of the fork. She kept looking down until she gathered up enough courage to lift her head again. Her voice came heavy and a bit sorrowful.

"Wendy, I'm a princess. I'll always be and so we need to be careful. Dipper doesn't want the crew to think I want to stay without they having money so he's waiting the right moment to tell everyone."

"Does, at least, the captain know?"

"No." Mabel answered looking down. "Please just keep our secret for a while okay?"

"Sure. But I'm so going to tease Dipper. It's so cute. By the way, do you want to come to my chambers later and get the scissors? Oh, and do you want some help?"

"I'd appreciate the help, thanks. But are you sure you can do it? Don't you have duties or something?"

"I have some free time. Besides, it's the least I could do after how I treated you."

Mabel smiled happy and excited, soon she started eating. Not long after both finished, they went back to Wendy's chambers to get the scissors and then they entered Mabel's to start working on her new clothing.

A few hours later, Wendy was getting tired of it. There is, it was nice to talk with Mabel and all but the sewing part was not for her. Besides, since she didn't know much of it, she was just looking at Mabel work with the needle while they talk. And Wendy was more a gather-up-at-a-table-to-drink-and-talk kinda girl, so this was getting really boring really fast.

Mabel realized her annoyance and told her she should go do her duties and maybe come back later with something to eat, maybe fruits as a snack, fresh from Anwril City while she could try on the clothes she was making. Wendy apologized and left. She would go straight down to eat and drink, but then she saw Dipper leaning over the taffrail, looking at the horizon drinking something from a mug.

The red haired sat on the taffrail by his side, crossing her legs and arms with a wide playful grin on her face.

"Hey, Dipper!"

"Hey." He said not paying much attention to her, his mind full of thoughts as he looked at the blue open sea. From up close, Wendy could see he was drinking mead. A sweet low percentage alcohol mead, one of the few alcoholic drinks his father allows him to drink.

"Thinking about what?"

"How to get money. You know, our reserves are running low, but I don't know about any ship we could raid, I didn't have time to scout. Maybe a city, but I'd also have to know more information about them to know where we could get more money. I'm getting worried."

"Stop worrying so much or you'll have more gray hair than your father in a few years."

"Easy for you to say…"

"By the way, a little bird told me something really interesting. Apparently, someone's been visiting the princess's chambers…" her voice was in a teasing tone and Dipper almost choked down his mead.

"What?"

"Oh, you know, doing stuff with her, believe it or not in the middle of the day. I wonder if she still remains pure…"

"What? No! We didn't do anything yet. I mean, of course she… You're mocking me, aren't you?"

"I can't believe you fell for that! And I can't believe you just gave yourself up like that! Geez, you're so innocent and cute."

"Shut up. How did you know? And stop saying I'm cute it's ridiculously humiliating."

"Oh, come on, Dipper. You know I'm just kidding with yah. Anyway, Mabel kinda gave it away. She tried to hide your secret, though, so don't be mad at her. But she's not that good to hide something from people close to her as you are. It's so funny how you too are so alike and different at the same time. You're perfect for each other. But I had my suspicions for a while, I mean, I already knew you were head over heels for her and I knew she was into you so it was only a matter of time until you guys sort it out. It was after the rescue from the navy, right? Oh, I know it was, I'm a genius."

"Wait, you knew she liked me from the beginning?"

"I wouldn't say from the beginning, but I found out a while now."

"And you didn't say anything to me, even when you knew I liked her?"

"I couldn't say it, Dipper. It was in girls' secrecy, plus, I didn't want to butt in especially after you told me to back off, remember? Besides, it wasn't something for me to do or decide, it was something for the two of you to deal with."

"Yeah, okay, I know you're right. It's just that I've gone to a lot of stuff to finally get her, maybe some tips would be helpful."

"You didn't need any of it. Just some guidance. Which I gave you. And I must admit I'm happy for you both."

"Don't be yet."

"Why not? Just because you two didn't go that far _yet_?" Her voice was mocking and playful, he couldn't do anything but turn a deep shade of bright red, quickly trying to swallow his mead to try to calm down and maybe hide his red cheeks. She laughed anyway; it was so funny to make him blush like that.

"No. And stop teasing me. What I meant is that our entire situation is very delicate and you know it."

"Oh. Indeed."

"I just wish it could be easier."

"If it was easy, you wouldn't have to put so much effort, silly. What you have to do is think if she's worth it or not and if the answer is yes, as I can se by your face, it is, then all you have to do is keep fighting for her. By the way, how long did you think you could hide it from me? I mean, you couldn't lie to me when you were 12 and you know you still can't lie to me now."

"I don't know, long enough. It wasn't supposed for anyone to know for now. And I couldn't lie to you because I liked you and you know that." He couldn't help but once again turn red like an apple by the end of the sentence remembering awkward times when they were younger.

"Man, I love to make you blush, but when you do this yourself is even funnier. But that was not the reason. It's because you have a sweet and truthful heart that can't lie to those you hold dear. But you have to toughen up a little, Dipper. Being a pirate is not easy and sometimes, you need to deceive people, though I know you can be quite good in disguises. But I guess you'll learn over time."

"Way to lift a guy's moral and self-steam…" He retorted sarcastically, drinking a bit more of his mug and finishing its content.

"You know, as much as I like to tease you and all, why don't you go to the galley and fetch some fruits for your beloved princess? She's probably hungry right now, but she was working on some new clothes I don't think she'll stop so soon. I'll just make the captain some company by the helm before it's Robbie's turn."

"Okay, then. Thanks for telling me this. I'll just go and then check up on her."

Dipper announced before he left. He went down to the galley and grabbed a plate with some apples, pears and grapes, and then he headed to her quarters, which were in fact, his. He was still so used to that being the door to his own room he forgot to even knock, he just opened the door and entered anyway, telling her he brought her food.

Quickly closing the door behind his back, he carelessly dumped the plate over the drawer and turned to look at her. He gulped as his jaw dropped and he lost his words. Mabel was standing near the wall with the window, cloths all over the place. She was using the black pants she just made, testing it on to see if it needed some final adjustments. On the top, she was using only a white shirt that was wrapped over her waist, showing her navel.

Her arms were wrapped around her chest, nothing was under or over her thin shirt and she was definitely not used to have so little covering her body in a man's presence. She felt herself blushing as she realized the shirt was probably giving too much notion of her curves than usual.

Dipper couldn't stop his eyes from tracing her body up and down, obviously, he got to see girl's flesh before, he is a pirate after all. But no other woman could ever make his heart beat that fast. Besides, he never got to see so much of her before.

"Dip…"

Suddenly something just snapped and he turned his back at her, finally noticing her discomfort.

"Geez, Mabel! How many times do I have to tell you to just lock the door if you want privacy!"

"You could have knocked, you know. It's a girl's room."

"Technically speaking, it's mine."

"Sorry."

"No, it's not you, I's me. I'm so sorry for that. And I… I just saw you navel. Oh, God, I saw you navel."

"Come on, Dip, you don't need to speak like you've seen me naked."

"Just because my eyes didn't see it doesn't mean my mind didn't…" He mumbled gulping and running his hand through his chestnut hair, nervously.

"Are you picturing me without my shirt?" Her voice was both curious and shocked at the same time, but with a hint of a teasing tone at the end.

"Not just the shirt." He shamelessly admitted to himself, not wanting her to hear it, however, he noticed it a little too late. "Did I say it out loud?"

"Yes."

His head hit the door.

"It's your fault, you drive me crazy, Mabel. I can't even think straight here. Couldn't you just have locked the damn door if you were changing?"

He was about to start banging his head multiple times on the wooden board he came through earlier when he jumped in surprise, feeling her leaning on his back. Once again, Dipper gulped. What the hell was she drying to do? Get him out of his mind or something? Because that's what she's doing.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I don't like to lock the door. I feel like I'm trapped."

"You're not trapped, Mabel, you have the key."

"I know, but it is the feeling I have. Dipper, I told you I tried to run away multiple times, remember? What do you think happens after I was dragged back? My dad usually ordered me to stay under lock and key for days. So yeah, I don't like it."

"Oh, Mabel, I'm so sorry. But you don't need to fear that anymore, you'll be the one in control this time."

"You make me feel safe." She mumbled and then took a step back, turning him to face her. This time, she was using a bodice quite like the one she usually uses over the shirt, but shorter so instead of covering all the shirt from the chest down, it only covered the critical part. Is seemed to be a lot more confortable this way. "So, how do I look?"

"Beautiful as always?"

"No, silly. Do you think I look a bit more pirate-like? I mean, it's not ready yet, I'm still gonna put an open skirt over it, maybe higher on one side, you know, more feminine. I'm gonna use the skirt from the dress I was using when we first met, that dress is kinda ruined anyway. Just because I'm a pirate, doesn't mean I can't look girlish, right?"

"Right. And I can't wait to see your finished look."

He barely had time to finish the sentence and she quickly grabbed him by his vest, pulling him into a kiss. And how he loved when she did that. Then, he grabbed her waist so she could be closer, he didn't know his hands would accidentally and so easily find its way underneath her shirt. He felt Mabel shivering in surprise for the gentle and intimate touch, but she didn't stop kissing him.

The kisses started to get more intense as their tongues started exploring each other's mouths. Their hearts started beating faster and faster and that lead to them having to pant to get enough air into their lungs as the excitement started to grow.

Touching her bare flesh underneath her shirt had some effect on Dipper and he was losing himself, it took him a while to notice they were both slowly making their way towards the bed. In fact, he only realized it when he suddenly found himself on top of her; quite like that day he started to show how to get rid of a situation when someone tries to kill you during sleep.

He gulped. What the hell was he doing in there? It took him all the strength he could gather up just to lift enough to stop kissing her. Panting, he looked down at Mabel who was as surprised as he was.

"Oh, no. No. No. No. No. No. I can't do this." He mumbled probably more to himself than her.

"Say what?"

"I can't do that to you. Not yet. It's too soon and geez, there's so many things to consider and you're probably never done this before and then…"

"Dipper, stop having a break down. It's not something to be planned like scheme you can plot. It just happens."

Once again, she managed to break all his expectations. He thought she'd at least be angry for him for trying to take advantage of her or something, but no, apparently she actually wanted that. It just made it even more difficult for him to back away.

"But it's not suppose to happen. Not like that. For crying out loud. Mabel, I know you're a lady. No, geez, you're a highborn princess. I know things in a palace are just different. Geez, you were going to marry and I know ladies like you tend to marry as, well, you know…"

"A virgin?"

"Stop saying it so easily. Geez!"

"Oh, come on, Dipper. You're a pirate, you shouldn't blush so much just by entering in this topic."

"No, Mabel, you don't understand. What if you go back to the palace? What if you want to go back and then they discovered that you're not untouched anymore and then everything goes head over heals because of that and it's gonna be my entire fault. I can't ruin your life like that, Mabel. I care for you too much to let that happen."

"Dipper, do you honestly think there's a possibility that I'd want to go back there? After everything I told you?" indignant, she forced her self to sit up, suddenly feeling quite angry. As soon as she started moving up, he gave space for her to do so by sitting on her side.

"No. Yes. I don't know. And you never told me _everything._ And I can't give you that confortable life you could have there. What if you get tired of this?"

With a small sad smile, she lifter her hand to touch his cheek and then try to brush his chestnut hair out of the way.

"Dipper, I don't _want_ to go. And have it ever occurred to you that maybe what I need and want is a life full of adventure and a bit of danger?"

"Look, from the start, my dad planned to stick with you as out hostage for a month. And I guess when a month passes; you staying here can be permanent. I can't do it with you until you're absolutely sure you want me and you want to stay because when you do, I will not let another man touch you. So I will wait for you. I don't want us to go that far if I'm not certain I can't have you for the rest of our lives."

"That's really sweet of you, Dip. So we'll have to wait, what a week and a half? I can do that. It's not that hard, I guess. That is if we don't get carried away like that again, right?"

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one that's going to have to take a cold shower…"

"Are you saying that I aroused you?"

"Do you really have to ask? And come on, I didn't even locked the door. I know you don't like it, but, come on, I don't want anyone waling in in the middle of something…"

"Me neither. And it's okay, I don't have a problem if you're on the right side of the door."

"Mabel, you're not making it easier for me…" She smiled and bit her lower lip to try not to smile so much on his hard situation. Then she kissed him on the cheek.

"I guess it's better for to go now, then. Before I start attacking you again, right?"

"That is a good idea indeed. I don't think I can stop a second time. And it is a warning."

Then, he gave her one quick peck on her mouth before he left her room, ashamedly heading for the one he shares with his father, knowing that thankfully, Roderick was now by the helm. Only one question in his mind and it was how could that girl make his entire world so upside down and make him feel so deeply like that.

The next day, the sun was high up in the sky and Dipper was sailing through the waters while totally not concentrated since he wasn't looking at the open sea ahead or keeping an eye for any enemy ship. Instead, he was looking at the pretty girl in the front of the ship, talking with Soos, Wendy and Robbie.

She had finally gotten herself rid of all the princess-y attire and was now using a complete pirate girl outfit with her personal touch in every detail. Dark pants, a white shirt with a short bodice vest to cover the chest part, daggers on her boots brown boots and a pink skirt over the pants, short on the left side and then down to her knees on her right, very different and very Mabel-like. He thought she looked absolutely prettier and more attractive like that than with the princess clothing. She was so stunning he couldn't take his eyes out of her.

"Son, you're getting out of the course. Pay attention or else you'll send us to the other side of the world."

"Sorry, dad. I mean, Captain."

"Remember what I told you about her, don't you?" Roderick replied, with no answer, he sighed and continued. "Don't let yourself fall for her, kid; it will only make things more difficult."

"Why, dad?" Dipper asked confused, maneuvering so the ship would be on course. "Why? " He repeated and then turned to look at him.

"Because I'm the Captain. And your father and therefor I know what is best."

"No. You're hiding something from me. What is it? What is the problem? So what if I like her? She wants to stay. She wants our pirate life. She hates the palace and I don't want to send her to a place she despises. I'm a pirate just like you but I'm not the kind of man to just abandon someone who needs help."

"I know son, and I'm proud of you. But she doesn't really understand what a pirate-life means. She is a princess; she's used to be pampered. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Raised with probably at least ten times more of the things I could ever dream in give to you. Your mother died when you were just a baby and it was hard to support you."

"But dad, she is choosing to stay here."

"Son, you know being a pirate is not easy. We risk our lives every day, we have to fight to survive, and how many times we caught ourselves in a storm that didn't let us even sleep for days? Do you really thing she can take a life like that?"

"It might be hard in the beginning, but she'll get used to it."

"And until she gets used, she can still change her mind. And when she goes, all that's going to last for you is endless torment and I don't want you to suffer like I did when your mother passed away."

"I know, but dad, just look at her. She has a free spirit. She yearns for freedom, do you really think she would want to live caged in a palace forever?"

"Freedom doesn't get you what to eat, son."

"What are you talking about, dad?"

The captain breathed heavily and looked away to the seas, noticing that even with the conversation, Dipper managed to keep the ship on course.

"There's something I never got to tell, you son." He said gulping, never imagining it would be so hard to say it. He looked around and was satisfied to see that everyone was or downstairs or in the other side of the ship and they wouldn't hear them. "When you were only a baby, there were nights when I could barely feed you. I almost gave up on you to give you a better life, but I couldn't because I promised you mother I'd take care of you the best way I could. And then I ended up becoming a pirate and it took a while before I got enough money to support you. And that's why I want to be a famous pirate by getting money and treasure. So I'll never have to go through that again. And then I ask you, how a girl that's used to have everything she could ever want in a blink of an eye get used with this kind of life?"

"Dad, she might have stuff, but she doesn't have what her soul needs. She wants to be free and make her own choices. And that's her choice. _If_ she changes her mind, then fine. I can't imagine myself living without her anymore, but I can handle it if that's her choice."

But Dipper was sure she was not going to choose that, he already knew her enough to know at least that with complete certainty. He might not know exactly what she was truly running away from, but he knew it was strong enough to make her not wanting to go permanently. However, Roderick understood the meaning behind his words and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

And that was it. It was a bit too earlier than Dipper expected or wanted, but Wendy already knew and his father would have to know sooner or later anyway.

"You keep telling me not to love her, but, dad… It's already too late. I'm in love with her. I'd do anything for her."

Roderick tried to smile as if he was nervous, knowing his father; he knew it was not a good sign.

"Are you sure, son? Maybe you just like her because she's pretty. You're too young to love."

"Look who's talking. I remember clearly when you told me you fell for my mom you were only 18, not really much older than us. Besides, Mabel loves me back."

The Captain just looked at his son in a mix of horror and disbelief, running the index finger over his short mustache and practically covering his mouth with his hands in the process. The man gulped hard and looked around once again; glad no one was butting in or listening to them. When he looked back at his son, he reached the teen's shoulder with the same hand he was running over his mouth moments before.

The son looked at his father knowing something was wrong. Way wrong. But he was determined to keep fighting for the woman he loves.

"Dipper, you can't love her." His father finally managed to choke out the words stuck in his throat. The Captain was quite perceptive, he had seen the signs, and however, he was avoiding it.

"Dad, don't be stubborn, I already told you everything. She loathes that place. She's happy here. And why are you calling me Dipper, you never call me by the name."

"Dipper, you _can't_ love her."

"Why?" the teen exasperated. "Why is it so unconceivable for you to understand I'm already completely and hopelessly in love with someone? Is it just because she's a princess?"

"No. Of course not."

"Then why?" he asked, there was a desperate urge to know in his voice "You always told me you wanted me to find someone to love just like you did with my mom so why can't you be happy for me?"

"Dipper, you can love anyone else, just not her."

" _Why?_ "

"Because…" The Captain gulped; there was deep sorrow and guilt in his green eyes. "Because she's your sister."

Dipper looked at him carefully, searching desperately for any hint of a misplaced joke or lie, his heart raced when he found none. Dipper's hand on the wheel started to make the ship turn until his father notice and put it in the right place to keep on course, luckily, no one else noticed the slight turn. There was a long minute of silence until the teen laughed, but it was a nervous laugh.

"No, she's not." Dipper reasoned "She's a princess, remember? And apparently I barely had what to eat when I was little."

"Yes, but as unbelievable as it sounds, your mother was the queen."

The desperation was rising in Dipper's chest and he could barely think straight, even breath was getting hard to do. He started to feel his eyes getting wet, but for the first time he didn't care if he looked weak in front of anyone if he cried.

"No, but we're practically the same age! How could we be siblings?"

"You're not practically the same age. You have exactly the same age. Have you ever asked her when her birthday is? It is the same day of yours. You're twins."

"No. It can't be." He looked at Mabel happy and talking with people, for the first time, he started noticing resemblances between the two he never noticed before. "She told me her mother died giving birth to her."

"It's true. She passed away the day after. Her body was too weak to hold on."

"But you said my mom was killed by a horrible man."

"I never said that. I said she died because of a horrible man."

"What the bloody hell did you want me to think with that?" Dipper's voice came out raspy and infuriated. He had never been so angry with his father before and the guilt of the Captain prevented him from trying to stop his son's rage.

"Look, it's a long story, but to summon it up, your mother was blackmailed by the king to marry him and she had no choice but to comply. However, she loved me and I loved her and we kept seeing and sleeping with each other. That's actually how I know all the secret passages of the castle; every time I could I'd sneak in to see her. I told you that because she was so sad and depressed because of the king that she could barely eat; by the time you two were born she was just too weak. It was the king's fault and you don't imagine how happy I'm to be a pirate just to go against that horrible man."

"But then… why… how did I end up with you?"

"When you were born, the king had to go to a nearby kingdom, political stuff. So I could sneak in and watch you two born, and then, your mother asked me to take you with me. She didn't know she had twins until birth and neither did the king. So at least one of you she wanted to live without the king's reach. She dream in heaving a little girl and I always wanted a boy so she let me stay with you. I'd take you there every day and you'd both grow up knowing about our decision, but it all changed when she died. I'm sorry, son I just..."

"How could you?"

"I thought it was best for you not to know about it."

"So when we kidnaped her… what did you want after all?" Dipper's mind was going miles per second; just trying to understand this whole messed up situation.

"I thought she might like it here with us and so we could live as the family we never could before." Yet, Roderick always assumed she'd want to go back, maybe because it was simpler for him to just take it as absolute truth so it would be easier to let her go if she decided so.

" _How could you?_ " He repeated almost spitting the words out so angry he was, however, he didn't raise his voice and that actually scared the Captain, he expected his son to yell at him immediately. Dipper was furious, how could his father let her him taking care of her and not fall in love with her? But at the same time, Roderick had no idea that his son and daughter could fall for each other; he might suspect it could happen but not for real. But alas, that's what happened. "You had _no_ right to hide it from me."

"I just thought I'd spare you the pain to see your sister walking away if she didn't want to stay if you didn't even know she was your sister, she'd be just a royal victim we used for a ransom and nothing else. How could I ever imagine that the two of you would fall in love for each other?"

Dipper backed away as if he just lost the ground beneath him, he felt like he needed some fresh air, but he could get a fresher air than in the middle of the ocean. He backed away until he reached the taffrail behind him and he turned to look at the open sea. His heart was so heavy he felt it couldn't go any lower.

"You had _no_ right to hide it from me!" He repeated; his voice was raspy and shaky, as he couldn't help but cry with both sorrow and rage.

"Son, I'm sorry, I was just trying to protect you…" He tried to reach his son's shoulder, but Dipper got away before he could be touched

"But you didn't. If you had told me before maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't be so much hurt right now. How could you do that to me? If you had told me I probably wouldn't be feeling this pain right now. Or at least I'd know where I was getting myself into. And you know what is the worst part of it?"

"No. What is it?" His father asked hurt and guiltily.

Dipper looked to the other side of the ship, where Mabel was looking at the sea foam the ship made while cutting through the waters. Soos was pointing at something and he, Robbie and Wendy were talking; probably explaining some stuff to the girl he loves. Dipper's heart sank even lower.

"The worst part is that I'm not gonna be the only one hurt out of it."

* * *

 **First, I must admit that it was not my initial idea to make them related, but I kinda changed my mind at the beginning because of all the interesting backstory thing...**

 **Anyway, you don't need to yell at me, just remember that they're not real, they're fictional characters in a fictional world. But I'd like to hear what you guys think of what's gonna happen next after Roderick's bomb-revelation!**

 **Oh, and don't forget to visit my Inkitt account, t** **here's a fanfic contest there and I've put this story in. If you're liking it so far, please go there and vote for me and/or leave reviews, this will certainly help me a lot!** **I left the link on my profile and here it is as well (you just have to copy, paste and delete the spaces): ww w. in kit t Mar ilia_Bar bosa**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	23. 22 - Star-Crossed

**Thank you so much for so many reviews, guys! And thanks for the support! I didn't know it was that predictable, but I'm glad that you all liked it! :D**

 **And I'd also like to thank the Guest Reviews, I can't answer you through PMs, so I'm just doing it in here! I'm happy that all of you liked the plot twist, even though most of you saw that miles away.**

 **But, seriously, guys, just out of curiosity, aside from the similar backstory of Dipper and Mabel and the fact that Canon Dip and Mab are twins, was it that easy to predict it?**

* * *

 **Chapter 22**

 **Star-Crossed**

Dipper was devastated. After his father's shocking and late revelation, he had to take some time to take it all in and try to find a way to tell Mabel without hurting her so much. Though deep down, he knew it was impossible. How could he try not to hurt her when he had to tell her they couldn't be together?

Reclusive, Dipper locked himself in the room he's sharing with his father, saying he wasn't feeling well. He skipped dinner and by then, Mabel was getting really worried. What was worst was that the captain told her not to disturb him, but of course she'd try to talk to him, she cares for him too much to just leave him. And then, when she knocked on his door, he did not answer.

He wanted to answer her, he wanted to see her, but he just couldn't. He didn't have what to say that would not break her heart and so he rather stays silent on his own. And he still couldn't believe it anyway. Just the previous day Mabel had aroused him. And she's his sister. His _sister_. Somehow it didn't have the impact it should have. During his entire 16 years of life he had been an only child and now he suddenly has a twin sister for whom he was totally in love with. It just didn't make any sense.

The worst part was that as he pondered the situation over and over again was imagining Mabel's reaction. Not only the first shock he was sure she'd be even though she managed to always surprise him by doing the opposite of what he thinks. That much he was sure of.

However, after the shock, what she'd be really? He was sure she would soon be despised of him. Even if he didn't know about it all, they're siblings and she'd soon be disgusted by the thought of it. That would be the normal feeling of anyone and she would not be an exception no matter what. He'd never be able to stop loving her, though. And Dipper could only hope that her repulsion could spare her some of the pain even if he couldn't be that lucky. At least one of them would be able to go through that and be happy eventually.

"Dip, I know you're in there, just open the door and let's talk. What happened to you? Are you okay?"

She asked by the other side of the locked door. Dipper buried his face in his hands and tried not to sob. Then, he made a decision. As soon as he was able to leave his chambers, he'd try to make her hate him.

It would be the easiest way for her not to be so much hurt, if she was able to hate him, her anger just might prevent her from feeling so devastated as he was right now and maybe prevent her from feeling so disgusted of him. Loath, he could take if it would make her be happy easier; but queasiness that would lead them both anywhere, he couldn't.

Dipper heard his father calling her to go away and he sighed heavily. Roderick telling Mabel to leave him alone would give him some more time to put himself together.

The next day was cold as usual, but with a delightful sunlight that tried to warm up the weather. They were taking a longer route to get back to Salus City, just in case the navy ship might be around, they didn't know exactly what Prince Mermando did to stall them, so it was better to be on the safe side. So instead of just a little more than two days, they'd get there in around three or so.

Late for lunch, Dipper finally managed to get out of his room. He didn't say a word to his father since the previous day. He was so furious he couldn't bring himself to talk to him.

He made his way to the galley and found it already almost empty, just a few members of the crew were eating at a table in one side, probably they stayed up late for watch. And in the other side, he could see Wendy, Robbie and Mabel sitting at a table. And the last one seemed sad and worried; he was awful that he was the one making her feel like that.

He grabbed only a bisket-bread on a plate and sat down. Dipper could have sat anywhere else, but ended up sitting with them out of habit. He started eating without even greeting them properly.

"Morning, Dipper. What happened to you? Are you okay?" Wendy asked, she was sitting in front of Mabel and Robbie was by his side, therefor, he only had the place by the princess side to sit, though he did it as far as the bench would go.

"Don't tell me you're stupid enough to get sea sick." Robbie mocked in front of him; however, Dipper was too depressed to even be bothered by Robbie's annoyance.

"I'm fine." It was all he could say. He just kept eating and avoiding looks.

"Dip, are you okay?" Mabel asked soft, trying to reach his hand, however he took it away before she could even touch him.

"I said I'm fine." His harsh words felt like a sharp knife being thrown in her heart. It wasn't what he said; it was the way he did it. He was so rude and impatient that surprised the three of them.

"Really? You don't look like it. Is there a problem? Dip, maybe I can help, just talk to me…"

"No, there's nothing you can do." He snapped at her, once again shaking himself off her reach.

"Geez, just because you're with a bad temper doesn't mean you have to act like a jerk."

"Look who's talking. You're the jerk one around here, Robbie."

"Not anymore, that position was just replaced by you. You don't need to snap at her like it's her fault!"

"You're saying like you care for her. Wasn't you the one who hated royalty?"

"Maybe I do. Things change."

"You don't care for no one but yourself." The younger pirate stood up suddenly and Robbie followed him the same moment.

Usually, Dipper tries to avoid conflicts and quarrels of all kinds, but now, he was so out of his normal, so angry and devastated all he wanted to do was beat something to try and calm himself down. Though someone would do the same effect on him and apparently, Robbie wanted to be this someone.

"Don't be stupid. Just because I don't show it all the time like a girl, doesn't mean I don't care."

"Guys, come on, stop that. Let's not fight, okay?" Wendy tried to reason with them, but it was no use even if she stood up and tried to stop them.

"Just shut up!" Hi voice got higher as they started yelling more to each other. The people of the crew that was around started to look at them curiously and started to get excited for some entertainment.

"I think I need to teach you a lesson the hard way."

"I'm the smart one, I'm the one who's going to teach you something."

"Enough!" Roderick's voice echoed through the galley. "No one's fighting in my ship unless it's training. Understood?"

"Aye, captain." Robbie said immediately and sat back down. However, Dipper just glared daggers at him and left.

Roderick sighed sadly; he couldn't blame his son for his anger. Wendy looked at Dipper's back as he soon walked out of sight and then back at the captain, very surprised. In all the years she knew Dipper, she never saw him act like that towards his father. Dipper had always looked up to him and was proud and respectful. Something happened between the two and she knew it. Wendy chose to stay quiet for the moment, though.

Maybe to try not get so much attention to his ashamed feeling, Roderick looked to Robbie and changed the subject.

"Wait, so you do care for her? That's news, I thought you didn't like our favorite princess."

"Okay, so you all don't need to make a big deal out of it. I care for her like a… puppy…" Robbie mumbled trying not to show so much affection, he isn't used to show his feelings.

"Are you comparing the princess to a puppy?" Wendy said with a joking tone, trying desperately to lift everyone's mood. Even Mabel managed to almost smile.

"No. Not a puppy. You know, puppy, sister, cute girl, it's all the same thing."

"Thanks, Robbie." Mabel told him truthfully, she knew it was all she'd get from someone so not used to show his feelings or even let him feel them. "But I think I'll try to talk with Dipper now."

"Mabel, wait. I think it's best to leave him alone for a while…" Roderick suggested.

"With all the respect, I think that's the last thing he needs."

So she turned and left searching for him.

Roderick stayed there, sighing sadly. Wendy gathered the courage to ask what was going on, but all he did was say something was messed up and only time could fix it.

Then, the sorrowful captain walked away after grabbing a bottle of rum, his purpose to go down there at the time. He walked all the way back to the main deck and then up to the sterncastle, where Soos was standing behind the helm for him.

"Already drinking, captain? Isn't it too soon for that?"

"I'm a pirate, Soos. There's never a break for it."

"Yes, but usually you wait until noon."

"Today I just want to get drunk." Roderick sighed and opened the bottle and took a long sip of its contents.

"Why, Roderick? What's the matter?"

"I screwed up big time. Epically."

"Can't you fix it?"

"Only if I could go back in time and makes things differently. But alas, we can't undo what we've done…"

"Well, at least we can learn with our mistakes, right?"

The captain managed to smile at his friend's blissfulness. Soos always acted as if everything is just fine, and that actually helped people around him lighten up their moods. However, his smile was a sad one.

"Yeah, but what's the use of it if it's already too late?"

"Maybe all you need is time to let everything be sorted out."

"I'm telling this to myself and trying to believe that. Somehow I just can't…" Roderick took another long sip of the rum and made a face palm, his thumb and index finger rubbing his eyelids. "My mistake hurt people who I care for very much…"

"Dipper will understand. Eventually. He will forgive you."

"I never said it was him."

"You didn't need to, Roderick. It's quite obvious for those who know you."

"You know, Soos, sometimes I envy you. You're so cheerful as if nothing could let you down, nothing can get to you. It's like you have no worries."

"Of course I do have them. I'm always worried to leave Melody in Salus City; I'm worried I won't get enough money for her to open the restaurant; I'm worried I'll die before we get married. Lot's of stuff. I just don't let my worries ruin my day." Soos said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "Why don't you rest a little? I'll take care of things here for you."

"Thanks. I'll do it."

The captain then walked down from the sterncastle to the main deck and he spotted his son in the fore part of the ship, arms crossed and just glared at him when their eyes crossed. Roderick decided to only turn and go inside his chambers.

As he turned, he almost bumped into Mabel going out of the officers's quarters's corridor. She was looking for Dipper inside it, since he stayed there almost the entire previous day, she went up straight there searching, not even noticing the young pirate on the other side of the deck until that moment. She excused herself and marched towards him.

"Dip, please just talk to me. What's the matter? Why are you acting so weird?" She asked raising her hand to touch his shoulder, and although he didn't flinch or backed away like he did before, he didn't turn to face her either. He just kept looking at the horizon as if it could avoid all his problems. But in fact he was just avoiding facing her.

"I'm not weird. I don't know what you're talking about." He stated looking t the sea, not even giving her a glimpse.

"See, right there. Dip, if there's something going on, just tell me. Is it because you're worried about the money? I don't know how it works but maybe I can help. Share your burdens with me."

Her voice was so sweet and pleading he was finding it too difficult to keep up with his stupid plan. She was so understanding and so caring he just couldn't help but love her and so beautiful he just couldn't help but feeling attracted to her. It was killing him to be mean to her, but he truly thought it was the best for Mabel because he didn't want her to feel so devastated like he felt.

"No. There's nothing you can do. The thing is that I just got tired of you. And stop calling me Dip, it's ridiculous."

"Why?" She demanded pushing him away, so angry she was. He stumbled back almost two steps and had to put himself together, not expecting something like that at all. "Why are you doing this?" There was a pause and she looked at him straight in the eye, she seemed about to cry. "You're one of the kindest person I've ever known but now you're just being a jerk. You're hurting me and I don't even know why!"

Dipper wanted to slap himself. No, he wanted to stab himself right in the heart for being so idiot. He was trying to do the same thing his dad did, he was more similar to him than he realized.

"I'm sorry. I'm so stupid I didn't even realize I was making the same mistake he did…"

He took a deep breath and looked around, some of the crew's men were working there and they were curiously taking a glimpse at the couple's direction. So to avoid more looks, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to het temporary room and closing the door. She looked at him confused and furious at the same time.

"What's going on?" The princess demanded. Dipper was still facing the door, now he knew he had to tell her the truth one way or another, to hurt her without her even knowing it was crueler than being honest.

Finally, he gathered up enough courage to turn and face her. As he turned, Mabel's breath got stuck in her throat for a second in surprise. He looked torn and broken his eyes were definitely wet, even though he was struggling not to cry. His voice came raspy.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you, yet it was all I did. But I should have known that was no way to tell you that without hurting you."

"Dipper, what are you talking about?"

"I just thought that making you hate me would make things easier for you. I thought I was smarter than that. I thought I could learn with my mistakes and even the others, but I guess I'm just brainless. I wish I could give you everything you want and need, Mabel. I wanted to make you happy. But in the end I guess you're just going to hate me anyway…"

"You're not sending me back, are you?"

"No! Of course not!" He told her with certainty, grabbing her arms gently for emphasis. "Well, not unless you want to. I promised you, remember? And that didn't change. But…" He trailed off, suddenly realizing his hands were making its way towards her face and hair, all he wanted to do was touch her and be able to be with her. "But I can't love you."

"Why? Because I'm a bloody princess and you're a pirate, is that so? I told you I don't care about it I never wanted to be princess anyway! I love you, Dipper."

"No, it's not that!"

"Then what is the problem?

"Mabel, I love you, you know that. I'd do anything for you. But… The truth is we can't be together because we're siblings. Brother and sister."

"What? Dipper, what are you talking about? You're not making any sense. That's not possible."

"It is because my mother was the queen."

"Our mother's can't be the same. They had different deaths, remember?"

"Actually, no. But I didn't know, that. I swear I didn't know that, my dad explained everything to me yesterday. Please don't say you're disgusted by me."

"Disgusted by you? How could I?"

"Well, you know… The whole incest thing…"

"Dipper, I was in it as much as you were. Besides, I can't change my feelings like that. I can't switch my feelings like a trained horse turn the direction when someone pull its bridles. I still love you."

"Me too, but we can't. It hurts so much."

"But how? It doesn't make any sense… I mean, if the queen was pregnant again there should be records, how did they hide another pregnancy? And how… I don't understand!"

"I was born on June 18th, sixteen years ago."

"But, that was when I was… Wait, so we're _twins_?"

"Yes."

Mabel's jaw dropped and she backed away a few steps until her knees failed her and she just fell down to the bed. She still didn't understand how they could be related, but it also wasn't a coincidence that their birthdays are the same day. And she was sure he wouldn't lie or joke about it.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't want it to happen like that…"

"It's not your fault. You didn't know, but… how? How is that possible?"

he gulped, it was hard for him as well, even though he knew it for a while, it was still hard to believe it. Slowly, he moved further and sat on the bed as well, but as far as he could be.

"I'll tell you what I know. What my dad told me… our dad…"

"Don't get me wrong, Dip, I mean, Dipper-" She began but was interrupted.

"Dip is fine. Please, just call me whatever you want. I love hearing you call me like that."

She nodded and continued.

"I like Roderick a lot and all, but… he's not my father. My father is and always will be the king. No one can't just tell me something and expect me to just change it. I've been living all my life believing I was the king's only child and that is who I am. I guess someday I could love Roderick but the closest thing to a father I'd probably see him in would be like a father-in-law."

"Wait, seriously? Were you thinking it could ever be possible?" He asked with hope under his voice, for a moment forgetting all the problems, and then the situation hit him like a massive tornado. He hid his face in his hand ashamedly. "I can't believe I was exited with that…"

"Why don't you just explain me?" She could see his turmoil, instead of just judge him, like he was afraid of, she understood him quite well, and after all, Mabel was going through the same thing. All of their pasts and origins they believed their entire lives were just blown in the wind. He took a deep breath and straightened his back.

"Then, I'll tell you what my dad told me…"

And so he told her the whole crazy story of their parents. It was hard to believe it, but soon some thing started to make some sort of sense. Then, he left her with her thoughts, because he knew she needed to be alone for a while. Besides she was so surprised and shocked she was about to cry, in fact, some tears rolled down her cheeks once she was alone, but nothing more than that.

It was a lot for her to take in. Her father blackmailed her mother to marry her and it made her so sad she started not taking care of her health. How could that be? She remembers her aunt Mary telling her that her mother had a tough pregnancy, but she'd never imagined I was something like that. Though it would explain how Roderick knew about the hidden passages.

And her aunt also told her that her mother didn't want to marry the king, but she is sure the king loved his deceased wife until that day. Her father was not a monster, he was just a man in a high social position that makes mistakes like everyone else and he loves his daughter very much. She knew that. She is sure of that.

Besides, how can they prove that she isn't the king's daughter? The queen's pregnancy was announced not long after she got married and everyone always thought she got pregnant during consummation. And if that was the case, how could they tell her she didn't have real royal blood in her veins?

People witnessed the consummation so they couldn't just fake it. Even though the queen obviously had intercourse with her lover (which Mabel couldn't blame her for doing it with the person she loved), there was a possibility that her father was the king. Even though it was apparently slim. She still needed to talk with Roderick about it to understand better, but she still needed more time to take it all in.

Right now, however, all she wanted to do was to be with Dipper.

She grabbed the new cloak Dipper gave her and went out of her room. During the day, she didn't need the extra layer, but now was time for the sun to start setting; therefore the weather was getting colder.

As soon as she was out, she could see him, sitting on the other side of the main deck, by the forecastle. He had a book in his hands, but it was closed, he was probably trying to distract himself and it was not really working. Instead, he was just looking up at the colored twilight sky. She walked until she stopped by his side and just then he realized she was there.

"Hey." He mumbled, trying to make a sad smile.

"Hey, bro-bro. May I sit here?"

"Only if you don't call me that." He said, but at the same time he was amazed at how she could joke with something like that so early, but she is Mabel after all. She's crazy, weird and unique. How he wished she could be his. She sat down besides him.

They stayed like that in silent for a while, just watching the sky get darker and darker as time passed by.

Eventually, Mabel leaned closer to Dipper. She knew now she shouldn't but she couldn't help it, she needed to be close to him and she was glad he did pull away. Slowly, but surely, she began to feel his arm getting around her and pulling her closer. Looking at the starry sky, she couldn't help but wonder.

"Hey, Dip, do you believe in past lives?"

He shrugged. "Never really thought about it. Why?"

"You know, when I was younger, back in the palace, there's a big library I used to hide in. And sometimes, to pass the time, I'd pick a book and read it. One of those told an interesting story."

"What kind of story?" He asked moving to get himself confortable, but not daring to take away the arm around her. He kept trying to fool himself this was nothing more, it didn't mean he was attracted to her or anything but he knew the truth was that he was hopelessly in love with that girl.

Mabel soon got confortable too by enlacing his torso with her arm behind his back and then reaching his other hand so she could enlace her fingers between his. She watched her hand play with his just savoring his warm touch, she was glad he waited patiently until she gather up courage to continue.

"The legend said that star-crossed lovers who committed double suicide would reincarnate as siblings. But not any siblings, twins, like us. Do you believe that?"

"I… I don't know…"

"When I read it I thought it was a beautiful story, the lovers could be together forever then. I was too young and naïve to really understand it. But I always wondered why they'd reincarnate as twins. Today my guess is that it is punishment from the Gods."

"For what?" He asked confused taking his eyes of their hands playing and interlacing each other fingers to look at her, though he could barely see her face since she was resting her head on his shoulder.

"For committing the awful sin of suicide. So maybe the best way to punish the two ungrateful souls is to make them be together but not be able to _be_ together. Being so close to you knowing we can't is just… Torture." Her eyes were wet once again, but she bravely fought them out, he hated crying and she hated even more that he'd see her cry again because she knew how much her pain hurt him. "Why did I have to love you so much?"

"I'm asking the same question for days now."

There was a minute of silence where all they could hear was the movement of the waters of the sea around them, hitting and splashing against the wooden vessel.

"That's why I'm thinking in going back to the palace."

"What? No! You can't. I won't let you. I promised you I wouldn't let you go back, and I intend to keep it?" He said backing away just enough to look her in the eyes.

"Yes but I can't leave like this too. We can't be together, Dipper. And then what do you expect us to do? Just leave seeing each other everyday and pretending not to love each other? I can't pretend that and I can't pretend I'm not hurt by this whole situation."

"Well, then maybe we can stay separated. One can stay in the ship and the other with Grunkle Stan in his shop. Whatever you choose, I'll pick the other. Though to stay in the ship you'll have to train a lot first. Stan can teach you just as he taught me."

"And then what? Have separated sibling-life seeing each other once in a while when the ship dock in Salus City's harbor, seeing the other maybe eventually move on even though we'll want to be with the other? Again, Dipper, I can't pretend I'm not hurt."

"But going back? You know you hate that place and I know there's a reason for you to run away."

They kept plying with their interlaced fingers until he stopped to take his hand away from hers only to pull her closer.

"Dipper, it's my choice. I don't want to leave you, but just maybe, if we stay separated, we'll eventually be able to move on. You'll continue as a pirate and will find a girl for you that will help you forget me. You're handsome, there won't lack interested girls in you. And I'll be back to my life and marry Prince Gideon and who knows? Maybe we'll grow to love each other over time…"

"No" He said dryly forcing her to look at him by gently holding her face. "I don't want that. I don't want to get over you, I don't want you to go back to that place you hate, I don't want you to marry someone else and I most definitely don't want _Prince Gideon_ to _touch_ you."

"But, Dip-" Her sentence was cut when he leaned the short distance they have between each other to kiss her intensely. She couldn't help but kiss him back and pulling him closer as she enlaced her arms behind his neck while he couldn't hide his desire for her any longer, kissing her with all his suppressed passion, pulling her as clos as she could get.

He wasn't worried about being spotted by anyone because the crew was majority on the two levels down, some already going to bed, others were eating dinner and the rest were lazily staying at the nets in the Gun Deck. The only person around the main deck was his father by the helm and he probably couldn't see them properly from where he was and even if he did, Dipper didn't care if he was seen or not.

"I know I'll always love you and not the way a sister should love her brother because…" She trailed off.

"Because it doesn't mean anything? I mean it's not like we feel like we're related anyway." He completed.

"Yeah. Exactly that." Mabel took a deep breath, sadly.

"We can live together. Screw society and morals. No one else knows we're related, we could just pretend we're not."

"But Dipper, society is not the only problem. You know, as a princess, I had to study a lot about other country's royal families. I've heard of one from another country that ceased in a matter of a centuries because of inbreed due to incest. They used to marry only inside its family to 'maintain their blood line pure' or something like that."

Dipper's eyes fell and he felt his hand running through his hair. Then an important detail caught his attention, his eyes sparkling with hope.

"But, Mabel, that was after generations. I'm sure the first ones didn't have a problem or it wouldn't take them so long to cease. And we're just one time only. And we didn't know. Geez I'm so angry with my dad right now. How could he just hide it from me, from us?"

Dipper looked away, his fists clenched in pure rage just to remember his father's actions and how it hurt him and Mabel.

"Don't be so mad with him, Dip. He's human and he makes mistakes like everyone else. Besides, you have a wonderful relationship. Don't let a mistake ruin it all. You know, I was kinda envy of the way you're so close, I wanted to be at least a little like that with my father."

"But I can't change the fact that I'm furious with him."

"You know, maybe we're not that much related… I mean, our mother is the same, that's for sure, but what if our fathers are different?"

He squeezed his eyes in confusion, trying to understand her point. He looked to one side and then the other before he turn to look back at her. "What do you mean?"

"You know, at the court, there's something called consummation."

"Yeah, I've heard about it…" Dipper said, his cheeks getting deep red.

"So even if she's been with Roderick before or after that, it happened anyway. And although I look a lot like my, I mean, our mother, aunt Mary always told me I take a lot after my father too and my grandma always told me I got his ears and mouth…" She trailed off sadly. "Or maybe it's just me wanting to believe it because I always wanted to be closer to him somehow. Maybe they only said that to make me happy… I know it's stupid but I just felt like it could make me feel better."

"No, it makes some sense. I mean, I'm definitely Roderick's son; you just have to look at me to know that, I look awfully like him, but with darker hair and eyes, which I probably got from our mother. And about half his age, obviously."

"Yeah, but that's so weird. How can we be twins but half siblings?"

"I don't know but it would at least made things a bit easier, right? I mean, that probably diminish our guilt, I guess. Even if there's nothing to feel guilty about." He said. "How could this be wrong? I love you, Mabel. This feeling can't be wrong. It just feels right."

"I love you too, Dip. I don't want us to be apart." Her voice was raspy and almost failed in the end.

"Then let's not be apart. If need be, we'll run away. Just you and I. We can go any place you want to go and start living there. We can work and get money, maybe we could try to open a tavern or store or something in a near future. What do you say?"

"But, Dipper, you love being a pirate."

"I love you more. I don't want to live without you. I refuse to do that. I don't care if we're related or not, you're my girl, now and forever."

Mabel smiled truthfully, cupping his cheeks with her hands. "And you are my pirate."

"Always and forever." So he gave her another kiss on the lips, though this time was shorter and less intense. "I think we better go eat dinner and go to bed. If my calculations are correct, we should reach Salus City around dawn."

"Okay. So we're still going to keep that up?"

"Definitely. And as soon as I can guarantee your safety inside the crew, I'm going to date you, properly. Or as properly as I can because it's not like I could ask your father."

"You're the sweetest. But I don't care if we give names to our relationship. I jus want to be with you."

"Yeah. Me too." Once again, he leaned in to kiss her. Dipper couldn't be happier to be able to keep doing that. How could he thing she could be grossed by him? She wants him just as much as he wants her and nothing could change their love.

* * *

 **That's it for today! I hope you all enjoyed it! Please tell me what you think about the chap and what do you think might happen next!**

 **Because of Christmas, I'm not sure when I'll be able to update, but I'll try to keep updating around Sunday or Monday, though if I keep getting so many reviews like last chap, I'll try to update even sooner for you, guys! :D**

 **Oh, and don't forget to visit my Inkitt account, t** **here's a fanfic contest there and I've put this story in. If you're liking it so far, please go there and vote for me and/or leave reviews, this will certainly help me a lot!** **I left the link on my profile and here it is as well (you just have to copy, paste and delete the spaces): ww w. in kit t Mar ilia_Bar bosa**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	24. 23 - Decisions and Conversations

**Hi, dear readers!**

 **I'm sorry it took me so long to update! You know, Christmas and New Year sometimes takes our time, besides, I was on a trip and I thought I'd have more time and internet to update, but I ended up not having both... Now, things are finally normal and I'll probably be updating in about three days after this chap, to make it up to you!**

 **And thanks so much for all of your reviews! It's been great to read them all! :D**

 **And just answering a guest review: Hi! Thanks for reviewing! I'm happy to know that this ship is not bothering you anymore! And yeah, I do see some resemblance with Luke and Leia (without Han), and also, I heard that, actually, at first, Luke and Leia weren't supposed to be twins, it changed soon. And you don't need to kill Roderick, hehehe, he's a pirate and he can keep a secret, lol! Just read along to find more! Oh, and Happy Holidays, too! Even though a little bit late...**

* * *

 **Chapter 23**

 **Decisions and Conversations**

They reached Salus City at dawn just as Dipper forecasted. As the ship made its way to the docks, Dipper and Mabel observed the city from afar starting a new day, holding their hands, yet with some discretion.

Since Dipper told Roderick about their relationship, a weigh was lift from his shoulder as if part of his worries about the crew finding out vanished. He was still afraid, but it was considerably smaller than before. That could be because he had already decided to fight for it no matter what, even if he had to go against his farther if need be.

"Mabel, I'll need you to go with Robbie and Soos to Grunkle Stan's place. I'll meet you there later, okay?"

"Sure, but why?" The girl inquired, confused.

"I need to do some stuff here…" His answer came with rub behind his neck and he deviated his eyes, she knew there was a reason for it.

"You're not gonna fight with your father or something like that, are you? Dip, don't do that…"

"No, I don't intend to fight, but I need to talk to him. You know, about everything…"

"Okay, then. But are you sure you'll be fine?"

"I'll manage, thanks. Just be safe." He said and leaned to give her a kiss on her forehead. Luckily for him, the crew was too busy preparing to dock and if someone noticed, they were kinda slow to figure something out with just a few hints when they're not paying much attention to the couple.

"Speaking of being safe, we didn't get the chance to train once for the last couple of days. If I'm going to be a pirate, this can not happen anymore."

"You're right. But don't worry we have time, right? The rest of our lives. But I'll do something about it. Maybe the next self-defense class could be showing you effective ways to knock people out. It is very useful indeed." As he explained, she smiled and laughed leaning on him.

"I bet it is."

"Urgh, give me a break. I'm gonna throw up with you two so lovey dovey…" Robbie's derisive voice startled them and they both jumped centimeters apart. "Really, Mabel, you could do better than that."

"Hey!" and "I don't know what you're talking about…" could be heard from Dipper and Mabel, respectively.

Robbie laughed and pointed at the younger pirate. "Ha! Man, you just gave yourself up!"

Dipper huffed and clenched his fists, not holding his girl's hand since they jumped apart. Then, he saw Wendy behind him and concluded what seemed to be obvious.

"Wendy!"

"Don't look at me, I didn't say anything. He figured it on his own yesterday and I kept silent. He interpreted my silent as a confirmation, though."

"Yeah, man. It was you and your public display of affection. Pretty obvious, actually. I wonder why no one noticed until now. I mean, it's not like I'm the smartest in the ship."

"No. You're far from that." Crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow, Dipper mocked his childhood enemy.

"Hey!" It was Robbie's turn to yell disapprovingly.

"Geez, you guys sure like to fight, don't you?" Wendy interrupted their growing quarrel. "Anyway, Robbie, I'll go see my dad and brothers but I'll be at Stan's for dinner with Melody, so remember to set another plate for me at the table."

"Yeah, okay." He mumbled in response, still exchanging deadly glares with Dipper. The red haired girl kissed him a deep goodbye kiss and then jumped off the ship as soon as it was docked.

It didn't take long for the entire crew to start working and do whatever they needed to do, securing the ship in its place at the harbor. Wile the captain was dismissing some of the men and giving chores to others, Dipper told her to go with Robbie and Soos. She gave him a sad smile before kissing him lightly on the cheek and wishing him good luck before she went.

Dipper took a deep breath and waited until his father to go back to his quarters in order to go after him. With a low knock on the half opened door, he made himself noticeable.

Roderick was organizing his stuff when he noticed his son entering. It's been already two days since Dipper last spoke with him like they used to. Not the captain to second in command kind of talk but the father and son or friend to friend kind of conversation. Therefore, he was surprised to see his son standing there; he didn't see that when Soos, Robbie and Mabel went away, but he was pretty sure his son went with them.

"Dipper, what are you doing here? I thought you were already out…"

"I was going to, but I guess we needed to talk first…"

"Oh. Sure. Okay. Go on." Roderick said unusually gawky. It was weird for Dipper to see his father like that, but he stood tall.

"So… I told Mabel."

"I guessed so…"

"No, just, let me talk. I know this situation is completely messed up and I don't want to fight anymore. I want us to be passed that. But there's something you need to know. I still love Mabel and she loves me back. She's the woman I love and no one can change that."

"Dipper, she's your sister. Your _sister_." He emphasized the last word. But the young pirate had made up his mind. He put his foot down and remained unswerving, though yelling wasn't in his intentions.

"But we didn't know that. Maybe if we did, I could have treated her like a sister from the beginning, but that's not what happened."

"But, son, you can't be together. For crying out loud, she's my little girl! And yo-you're my little boy!"

"We talked about it, we're staying together one way or another. You like it or not. I love her, dad. I can't change how I feel. Neither can she. I think she's the one. I want to cherish her and love her for the rest of my life and not as a sister. And if you have a problem with that, we won't have another choice but to run away."

"You can't be serious." Roderick tested, but he already knew the answer just by looking at his son's face. Dipper always has been a very curious boy and rather serious for his age since he was a kid. Even so, the captain had never seen his son so serious and so certain before this moment.

"I am. We both are. That's it. We stay together here or any place else, but we'll be together. You know, she even said that if she wasn't going to be with me, she'd rather go back to the palace. And I don't want to live without her. I won't let she go back to that place she hates in order for me to suffer here without her."

"No, Dipper, you don't understand…" His father kept insisting, stubbornly. How was he supposed to take it lightly, after all?

"I do understand. We talked about everything. But our decision is final. I'm not asking you about it, dad. I'm just telling you what we decided."

"No, but… I just… I can't accept it, Dipper. I can't allow it. You're twins."

"About that, did you by any chance slept with mom in the same night of her…" Dipper gulped nervous, "… consummation…"

Dipper shifted, embarrassed. It was still too difficult for him to grasp the concept of the 'consummation'. He had heard of it before in books, but he always doubted it was true around nobles. It was supposed to be a especial intimate moment between a newly wed and not something to be witnessed.

"How do you know about… Oh, Mabel told you…" Roderick concluded and sighed. "Yes. Of course. Before and after her marriage. She loved me and I was her first man. If we could, I'd have been the only one. But the situation got out of hand… She didn't have a choice."

"Wait, before? I thought ladies were suppose to marry… you know, untouched…" By then, Dipper was trying really hard not to get as red as an apple. Roderick ran a hand over his dark blond hair and sighed frustrated. This was definitely not the kind of topic a father would want to talk about with his son.

"Okay, so that's really not the subject I'd like to discuss with you, but since you insist so much, fine. The king wanted her one way or another, so yeah; he married her even if she slept with me before, though I'm not sure he knew about that. He knew all along she loved someone else and even then he forced her to marry him. Though he suspected it was I, he wasn't sure and he didn't have proves against me, so I was safe. We were very careful when we met."

"But wait, just to be clear… So she did sleep with the two of you in the same night, right?" The young pirate needed to be sure and he asked cautiously, but his father frowned nonetheless.

"You better be careful with what you say she's still your mother, so show some respect. It's not like she wanted to be with him."

Roderick did not want to get into details, for obvious reasons; however, the truth was that Leanne asked him to be the first one to take her in her wedding day. He could still remember the day she told him she was pregnant and how she knew it was his child. Indeed it seemed more plausible since he was with him more often than her own husband; Roderick never doubted that, especially when Dipper turned out to be so alike him. Therefore, what his son told him turned out to be quite shocking.

"No, what I meant is that because of some stuff Mabel said. She thinks her real father might really be the king after all, and in this case, we wouldn't be siblings, we'd be half siblings." Now, Dipper managed not to blush so much now, his curious brain was too busy working his way on that crazy hypothesis.

"That's not possible, son, you're twins. And let's face it, the probability of me being the father is much higher."

"It's not impossible if we were conceived in the same day. And you know all it takes is one time."

"Yes, but she was born first, that night I stayed with your mother prior to the consummation." Trying to reason, Roderick managed to talk a little bit more about it, but the subject was still too hard to deal with.

"Who knows, maybe because I was conceived first, I got to be born later. I don't know how this stuff works. It doesn't matter how it happens she says she has traces of the king in her. Look, it doesn't really matter because it won't change the way we feel but maybe us being half-siblings will be easier for you to accept us."

"I can't accept that, Dipper. It's incest!"

"I love her. How did you feel when someone told you hat you couldn't be with my mom because she was engaged to a bloody king? Let me tell you it's not that different; it hurts the same way. And I'll not yield in that decision."

"And how am I supposed to be fine with that?" That was the first time in the whole conversation that Roderick gave the smallest sign that he might be able to admit their relationship someday.

"I don't know. You'll find a way." Dipper said and left after a long moment of awkward silence. Both had nothing else to say at least for a while.

So the younger got off the ship and decided to go for a walk to unwind. The conversation was so tense he felt like he had just been though a long, tough training. He was glad he managed to keep faithful in his decision and not weaken once, though. After all, he was going against his father, something he was not used to do; besides he was also his captain. So it was hard for him to keep it up, but he did nonetheless and he was proud of himself.

Meanwhile, all Roderick needed to do was get home so he could rest because he was exhausted after the tense and weird conversation. It's not everyday a father ends up entering in details on how his son was conceived. He felt like all he wanted to do is sit on a couch for hours, free from responsibilities. That is after he got to see Mabel.

As soon as the captain got home, he found Soos and Melody talking at the kitchen; he greeted the couple and entered the house. He noticed Stan and Robbie were at the shop in the front part of the building and then he went upstairs.

Roderick guessed Mabel would be in her temporary room, which was actually Dipper's. He lightly knocked on the door and heard her soft voice saying to come in and so he did. She was rather surprised to see the captain there.

"Hi, Roderick…" She greeted seeing him entering while she finished tiding up her stuff in the drawer.

"Hi… Dipper told me you know about everything… I just wanted to know if you're okay."

She closed the drawer, putting her hair behind her ear nervously. Then she shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I guess I am…"

"Please, you can be honest with me. I know it must be really hard for you. In fact I didn't even mean to tell you everything when we kidnapped you, back then I just wanted to get to know you." And he sat by her side, gesturing his hands a little nervous as he spoke.

"Of course it's not easy, but I just… It's hard to take in that my parents weren't in love. I mean, I've always known my dad has loved my mom even today, and I always assumed she loved him, even if it was an arranged marriage."

"I know it's weird, it will take a lot of time for you to get used to this. But I do love your mother. Even now. I always have loved her."

"Yes, I can see that. However it doesn't change the fact that the king is still my father. And for you he's like some kind of monster."

"And for me he is. He took away the woman I loved. And my daughter." He told her and sighed heavily. "And he did that even though he knew she loved another and not him."

"Wait, so he knew about you all along?"

"Of course he knew."

"No, I mean he knew it was you?"

"Well, not exactly. He suspected, but he wasn't sure. Your mother and I were very careful, back when I was working as a servant for a while inside the castle. But it didn't last long enough anyway; she died short after the two of you were born. Why?"

"Roderick, if he really knew about your affair, you should be dead by now. And if anyone suspected of this, mom should have been killed as well."

"Wait, what?"

"An affair is considered as an act of treason against the king. You didn't know that?" Mabel explained confused because she was sure he'd have known something so important.

"What… No. She never told me that…" He mumbled genuinely baffled. "Why would she hide it?"

"Maybe because she didn't want to scare you. Or raise any more suspicions." Mabel wondered out loud. "But the thing is why the king didn't say anything. I mean, he probably was trying to protect her, obviously. Though he could just forge something to get rid of you…"

"Maybe he just didn't have enough time to do so."

"If he had, you'd have been in a lot of trouble."

"It would have been worth it. We had a lot of plans to raise you two. You two would have known each other. You'd have known all along you're siblings. And even if you would have been living separated, you would have been able to see the other whenever you wanted. If only Leanne had survived… It was the king's entire fault. She hated so much being away from me it was killing her. I know that. But she wanted so much to raise you. She used to say how she wanted to brush a little girl's hair and take care of her daughter and do girl's stuff. She had so many plans and things she wanted to do; yet she died so young… If only she had lived at least a little longer, you two would be brother and sister and you two would have never been alone. And I could have been your father all along." Roderick kept mumbling and by then, his eyes were unusually wet.

Mabel looked at him with her own eyes already wet as well. She sighed heavily, seeing the pain he was baring over the years and that weighed her heart. The princess liked him very much, however, that couldn't change the past.

"Roderick, I like you very much, you know that. But you're not my father." She didn't mean to, but it hurt him more than he expected it would. "I just… I can't believe that. Not only because King Albert raised me and he loves me, but because I've always believed that, besides, my aunt and grandma always told me how I take after him in so many ways…" She trailed off.

"I love you too, Mabel, even if we didn't know each other. In fact, I got to see you one time before kidnapping you and after Leanne passed away. You were only 4 years old. I used the tunnels to go inside the castle again and so I disguised myself as servant and stayed there for two days, just to see you from afar. I wanted to do this more often, but it was hard while living the life as a captain pirate. I was very attentive of any news about you, though." He said and she just smiled gently. "You know, Dipper told me you two want to be together. But it's just so hard for me to accept that. I've always though of you as my little girl."

"I do love him, Roderick. He's wonderful, gentle, kind and the sweetest guy I've ever known."

"You sound like your mother, talking about me… Gosh, you look so much alike her."

"But I'm not her, Roderick." She stated. Even though she liked the fact she looks like her mother, she didn't want to be seen as a shadow of her. "I love Dip and I want to be with him. And if we can't, I'd rather go back to the palace and believe me, it is the last thing I want."

"Seriously? Would you really trade everything in the palace for this? Because once you really chose it, there's no turning back."

"I never liked living in there anyway just to begin with. Why is it so hard for you to understand that? Why do you doubt me?"

"It's just that Leanne and I wanted to run away too, but she hesitated the only chance we've got. And she regretted that very much. But then, we just couldn't go away anymore…"

"Well, have you ever thought that maybe she had a reason for staying there and I don't?"

"No… But…"

"I don't want to go back there. I never liked it in there. Please don't make me go."

And for the first time, Roderick stopped seeing her as a second Leanne. Mabel was a completely different person, but she looked so much like her mother and he barely even knew the girl that it was easy just to relate Mabel to her mother and her past problems and mistakes. With a sigh, he gently grabbed her hand and held it tightly and reassuringly.

"Then you won't. I can't promise you it's gonna be easy, but if you two are so certain about it, I can at least try to accept that. I just need some time. Lots of it, actually." He said truthfully, but it really was going to be a very difficult thing to do.

"Really?" Her pretty chocolate eyes sparkled with hope and happiness.

"Sure." He said with a small, sad smile. "I guess I just can't say no to you. I also never could do that to your mother… She had me in the palm of her hand…"

"Oh, I should get some advantage of that, what about I get more money the next time we raid a ship?" She joked, trying to lighten up the mood, Mabel could not stand a tense or sad conversation for too long.

"I knew you had a little bit of pirate in you. And you know what? Considering personalities, if I had to guess which one is really my offspring, I'd say it's you. You're so spontaneous. Dipper is not. He's very organized like your mother."

"Yeah, I believe so. Aunt Mary always told me how mom liked to scheme things. She was very methodical."

"Yeah. I guess you're very different from her after all. I can see that now…" He could understand that now, but this situation was still too new and unexpected for him, he was having difficulties in take it all in for thousand reasons. "Yet, it's still so hard for me to just see the two of you together in a romantic way. I always saw you as a daughter, even if we had never met before…"

"I know. But who knows, maybe one day you'll be able to see me as a daughter-in-law?"

"Geez, you're to young for that."

"Young? I'm already 16. I was already engaged, remember? Anyway, I wasn't saying it now, I don't even know if it would ever happen. It's just a hypothesis."

"Well, I don't really think so. Not yet, at least. Let's take it one step at a time, okay?" His question came with a very nervous rub behind his neck.

"Sure."

Roderick looked carefully at her. That beautiful young woman that he believed for so long was his daughter and part of him still does. And now, she was in love with his son and he fell for her as well. Roderick raised his hand to caress her hair and then he leaned to kiss her forehead.

"You know, it's hard for me to accept you and Dipper has grown. It seemed like it was just yesterday I saw you running around in the palace's garden. And the day before I watched you two being born. Now you're a grown woman and he is a grown man. All I ever wanted for both of you is to be happy. Happy the way I couldn't be." He told her, showing he was willing to do his best to see them together.

Mabel smiled at his honesty and display of fatherly affection and she couldn't help but hug him. A little taken aback at first, he slowly embraced her back. Before, he was trying so hard not to get too attached to her because he was afraid she'd chose to go back and he'd lose her again so he barely even touched her. And here she was, hugging him like it's something they do everyday. That girl amazed him in so many ways he didn't even know where to begin with.

He pushed her closer wrapping an arm around her and caressing the back of her head. He waited for so many years to hold her again he could barely believe that girl was the same baby he held her the day she was born. In a way, she'd always been his daughter, his little girl. All he wanted was to see Mabel and Dipper happy, and if he had to go through a great deal of awkwardness and moral sense, then so be it.

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 **I hope you all enjoyed it! Don't forget to leave me a review telling me what you guys think about the chap! :D**

 **And again, sorry it took me so long to update, I don't like not to keep my schedule, but I tried... Anyway, things are finally normal again!**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	25. 24 - Problems Ahead

**So I couldn't update on Monday, but I'm not that late anymore, after all, it's only Tuesday! :D**

 **And I just wanted to answer a Guest review: I totally agree with you! Morality is relative, and it can change over time, space and culture! And, yes! You're totally right! Dipper and Mabel's case in this fic is "superfecundation". It's cool to know at least someone searched for it and learned something from my fic! Though in this fic, they can't prove it since there's no DNA test... But yes, she's King Albert's daughter and he's Roderick's son. BT**

* * *

 **Chapter 24**

 **Problems Ahead**

"So my dad really said that?" Dipper asked, "Because to me he only said it was impossible…"

"He did. And it was probably because you were the first to talk to him about it. He just needs some time to get used to us." Mabel explained, happy and vibrant, as always.

At the moment, both were at the market by Melody's request; she needed some ingredients to finish preparing lunch and later dinner. They parted soon after Dipper got home, by then, Mabel and Roderick had just finished talking with each other. Dipper only had time to change his clothes to a peasant-like to keep a low profile.

The people in Salus City was actually somewhat used in having pirates around, after all, Roderick had always gone there through the years Dipper grown with his whole crew. Since they never raided or done any harm to no one in the city, the people there started recognizing them from afar and not be too afraid of them.

It wasn't a very big city, but it wasn't so small for everyone to know each other, and so Dipper could walk around the city without being pointed as a pirate, but since he grew up there, indeed some people knew him, especially the sellers of the places he went more often, aside from the people that already knew him from when he was young.

As they walked down the street market, he politely greeted the sellers he used to be gentle with and have small talks every time he used to go there. They greeted back before going back to their business.

"No, that's more to it than that."

"What do you mean?"

"He clearly likes you better. He accepted to try and accept us for you."

"Dipper, you do realize you seem to be suffering form a sibling jealousy, right?"

"Of course I'm not. I'd have to have a sibling for that and I don't." He spoke naturally because for him that was the absolute truth. "But he does have a weak spot for girls and he only accepted that after talking to you."

"Dip, do you hear yourself? Maybe he just needed to be sure in what I thought about it all. He just needs some time, Dip."

"I know, you're right. I'm just not used to that, okay? Before I never had a problem with something I wanted, all I had to do was ask and he'd get for me. But now, I only ask him to be with the girl I love and then he tells me no."

"Dip, he's trying his best to tell us yes. Give him a break. At least he listen to you, to us. You should be happy for it." She reasoned, reaching for his hand so they would walk holding each other's hand, which was a good thing to do in such a crowded place so they wouldn't lose the other from sight. "Don't take what you've got for granted."

"Are you saying that because your dad never really paid enough attention to what you said?"

She stopped and he felt it, then he turned to look back at her. Mabel squeezed her hands against his tenderly for a moment before she gave him a small smile.

"I love him, Dip. And he loves me. But he's a king. He never had the time to really bond with me and he never really knew how. It took me a long while to understand that. Even today, I don't like it and don't fully accept it as much as I seem to, but I always wanted him to at least pay attention to me, to believe in me and to just let me be free. Roderick, on the other hand, listens and he tries to understand. Not because I asked, but because he loves us. The two of us. Equally."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…"

"Besides, you have to remember something important." She said in a rather serious tone and he just raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"I am ir-re-s-sti-ble!" She chanted happily in a joke and his face fell to an annoyed look. "So of course he couldn't say no to me, you silly! But you should be happy for it. I guess I'm really lucky to have my 'father-in-law' to like me so much, don't you think?"

"Stop saying 'father-in-law'… You're gonna embarrass me…" Dipper was red as an apple.

"Oh, come on, I know you like the idea, don't you?"

"That's beside the point. And it is a bit too early to talk about that anyway. My dad needs time, remember?"

"I know, I'm just kidding, oh paranoid one." The girl said before pulling him by the collar of the white shirt under the dark brown commoner vest and kissed him lightly. "But it's okay, I still love you anyway."

"And I love you. I want to spend the rest of my days with you. I'm sorry if I was being a nag and didn't even get to say how happy I am that he told you he'd at least try to accept us being together."

"I knew you'd let some sense in this pretty little smart head of yours. And yes, you were a nag indeed. But now let's get going, we only got the potatoes, we still have a lot of things to buy before we go back home."

"You're right. Let's go, my princess." As he turned to go pulling her by the hand, they ended up bumping in a short ugly man that smelled like rum. Both apologized to the man and kept walking. If Dipper had paid at least a little bit of attention, he'd have recognized the man as Toby Determined. In this city, Dipper tends to lower his guard out of habit, after all, this is the city where he had grown up in and in some way, it was his haven, he felt safe in there and not be in total alert was only natural.

Then, they went to buy some eggs and fish. It was when they were at the vegetables stand, getting some carrots. Mabel was looking at everything still mesmerized by so many new stuff she heard someone clearing their throats and she turned to the person. There were two men with normal peasant clothes, each also using an expensive looking satchel.

"May I help you?" She asked confused, noticing they were looking at her anxiously.

"We hope so, you seem like a good girl. We're visiting this city and we want to know some places. Do you live here for long? Do you have family in here? Maybe you can take us there?" The younger one asked seeming eager and so she raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

Something inside her hear just screamed 'danger' and that instinct made her heart jump and race. She looked at them from head to toe and then back up. There was something odd about them, though she didn't know what it could be.

"I'm sorry if my friend startled you, we just need a few information, if you live here for long, you probably know every place, right? By the way, we're Smith and Jones." The older one explained and gestured to each one.

"I don't think it is a good idea, I'm busy…" She mumbled while Dipper was too distracted buying the carrots and paying for them.

Mabel backed away from them and got closer to Dipper, the two insisted to know more about her and she was getting too nervous. Looking at them with more attention, she tried to search for something like a clue that might indicate what she was feeling that was so wrong. But all she noticed was that even though they looked like they couldn't afford much, both were wearing very neat clothes that seemed new, as long with very new black boots. Why the two of them were using new sets of clothes that seemed to be recently bought? Especially with the expensive looking satchel? It was just weird.

And then, she noticed the dagger in their boots. Dipper once told her that when someone is trying to hide a blade but doesn't really have much experience in being stealthy, would probably put the blade in their boots because it's out of sight and the person has easy access to it.

However, if the person really needs so hide it completely, would need to hide in a better place. For example, Dipper liked to keep his dagger behind his back, in the middle, ticked inside his pants because it would be secured in place, yet very well hidden underneath his shirt and he could have an easy access to it if need be, though not as easy as leaving it in his boots. It all depends on what he needed more. Putting it inside the sleeves could also be a good option. So those two men definitely didn't have much experience in being stealthy and hiding blades, and they walked in a pretentious way that reminded her of cocky knights at the court.

But the most outstanding thing was the daggers's hilt, at the pommel to be exact. It not only made the dagger look very expensive for a commoner, but it also had a serpent heraldry sign borne for those who were at Gideon's family service, which only close knights would use to show their loyalty. It was an especial symbol very similar to the royal family one, only for the knights at their service.

Her heart skipped a beat as she looked back up at them. They could very well be working for her fiancé, searching for a girl with her description that would actually be herself.

"So, please help us, little lady."

"I'm sorry, I can't…"

"Why not? You seem so nice, I'm sure you'd help us."

"Because… because my brother won't let me. And we're busy taking groceries so our mother can finish cooking lunch." She said suddenly as she had the idea's excuse and just grabbed Dipper's arm, the boy looked shocked, but managed to nod. "So excuse me, but we're in a hurry."

And so both left as soon as she grabbed the paper sack with the carrots, away from the knights Powers and Trigger in disguise.

The two men just looked at each other in suspicion. The girl looked a lot like the painting of the princess they saw, but at the same time, she wasn't. Her clothes were definitely different and the long hair, now around her face seemed to be somewhat different than the picture. Yet, her eyes and face structure were very similar. But what left the two men wondering the most was her startled reaction. It could have been only from normal fear, she could be shy and the world is a dangerous place, however, something about her was still catching their attention.

"So, what do you think?" Trigger asked the more experienced one, looking the young couple walking away quite fast.

"I don't know, but she is the closest girl to the painting we've found so far. Let's keep a close eye on her."

"Sure. But, Powers, if she really is the princess, wouldn't she want to be rescued? Wait, wouldn't she be locked away with the pirates?"

"Well, I don't think they'd have kept her imprisoned for that long, that could be why she was with that boy, he didn't look like a pirate, but he could be one. We don't know how they're threatening her; however, she could be too scared to give a hint to us. Even so, she probably doesn't even know we're here to save her. How could she ever guess it, anyway? We're well disguised."

"You're right. Then let me keep an eye on her while you try to search for more clues. We need to find her and send a word to our prince." Powers nodded in agreement and both went into separated ways to do their job.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the market, Dipper got enough time to recover from the initial shock and then glared at Mabel who kept pulling him by the arm.

"Brother? You've _got_ to be kidding me!" He exasperated, pushing his arm away from her grip in a rather harsh way, he wasn't yelling yet, though his voice was high in anger. She jumped in surprise and looked him in the eye. "Brother. You called me brother, after everything we've just been through?"

"Dipper, keep it down. I didn't mean it like that I just wanted an excuse to go away."

"Couldn't you come up with something better? Anything would have been better! Like a boyfriend or fiancé. Anything!"

"I was nervous and I panicked. I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"But you did! Urgh, just forget it and let's go back to the house."

"No. Dip, wait. Just let me explain… It's because I felt like they were here for me. Like they were searching for me."

"Why do you say that? There's no way someone could ever know about this place. You're safe here."

"I don't know how they discovered, but they… they had daggers too expensive for a commoner, and…"

"There could have a million reasons why they have expensive daggers, Mabel!There's no way someone could ever know about this place. You're safe here."

"But I'm scared. If I told them you were by brother, it would give them the impression that I have a family here and that I live here. Besides, the princess doesn't have a brother, so if they're really looking for me, it might drawn them away."

"But the thing is that she does. I mean, you do have a brother. Me. But no one knows that." They kept walking and stopping while they were fought each other.

"Dipper, please don't be mad."

"Were they from your castle?" He asked suddenly.

"No, but…"

"See! There's no problem here, Mabel. Nothing to worry about." He was irritated and so he continued walking back home, she followed right beside him. They were almost there.

"Of course there is. I'm scared all the time. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hurt you, but I needed to draw them away and that's what I got in short notice!" She said as her voice rose as well during the argument. "I just needed to say something to get away because I can't go back, Dipper! If I go he will-" And she quickly shut her mouth and covered it with her hand when she realized she was talking too much.

"Wait, what?" He asked, now more confused than angry. "What do you mean? Who is he and what did he do?"

"It's nothing…"

"For crying out loud, Mabel! It's not true and we both know it! You're just hiding something from me, it's like you don't trust me."

"That is not true. I just want to forget it as if it never happened. And I don't want your pity. Or anyone's for that matter. I am a princess, Dipper. There are people starving in my kingdom while I grew up without even having to repeat a dress once in my life. I do not deserve pity. I was just in a situation that I didn't like, and then I managed to get away from it. I wasn't born for that; maybe any other girl at the court would be fine in that situation, but not me. Can't you just be satisfied with it?"

"No, I can't. You're hiding something from me and all I want to do is help you!" He yelled angry and barged inside the house, they finally walked all the way back home.

"Geez, how can you be so stubborn!"

"I don't know but you got that from the same place because we have it in common."

And so he left for the kitchen to give Melody the things she needed. Mabel humphed and marched upstairs to her temporary room. She slammed the door shut and crossed her arms. They were so loud that everyone inside noticed something was way wrong.

Roderick made a face palm, deciding not to butt in; after all, he had already done enough damage and was trying to fix his mistakes. Whatever it was, it probably was something that the two of them needed to work out as a couple, without a father as a mediator.

Dipper left the stuff for Melody and didn't even ask if she and Soos wanted help or not, he just left. The couple just looked at each other and shrugged, noticing the young pirate was just too angry for some reason, and then they went back to cooking. The boy made his way to the shop part of the house, finding Robbie and his Grunkle Stan.

"Hi. We're back. Is there something for me to do here?"

"Of course… Robbie, why don't you go inside and call us when lunch is ready?"

"Sure, Stan." The young man replied, taking the hint as a cue to leave the two alone.

Stan shifted in his chair and crossed his arms. His expression was skeptical. It was Dipper's conscious idea to seek his Grunkle's help, it just happened that way, and after all, he was used to do it as he grown up.

"Come on, kid. What happened?"

"It's just… She drives me crazy!"

"Mabel?"

"Yeah…"

"Does it have anything about the fact that she's your sister?"

"Yes! Wait… You… knew about that?" Dipper asked confused and utterly surprised. Stan sighed and stretched until his hand collides to the back of his grandnephew's head. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"Of course I knew, you silly. I know everything. Well, not everything, but a lot of things. And obviously I knew that from the beginning."

"And you're not grossed by it?"

"Kid, I'm not your father. For me she was just a name, a girl I never met. In fact, I predicted it might happen and I warned Roderick. Did he listen to me? No. Of course not. He told me 'the two would never fall in love, they're siblings!' and now he just shamelessly told me I was right all along and I knew what he meant."

"Great…"

"But don't worry, I'm on your side, kid. What happened?"

"She was so weird, she called me brother to get away from some creepy guys instead of telling them I was her boyfriend or anything else because she had that crazy idea they were here looking for her. And later, she denied telling me why she's so afraid to go back to the palace, even though she almost slipped it." Dipper sighed irritated. "I don't know why she keeps secrets from me, it's like she doesn't trust me! And that the fact of us being siblings doesn't matter."

"Oh, come on, Dipper it's not like that."

"It is and I still can't believe she called me 'brother' after everything we've been through."

"Oh, kid, if you didn't know you are related, you wouldn't be so sad about it."

"You're wrong, Grunkle. The fact that it is true is the reason why it hurts. If I didn't know or if it wasn't true, it would probably not even bother me at all. Well, there's the possibility we can be half-siblings because she believes the king is actually her father, but you know what I mean. The problem is still basically the same…" He huffed.

"I see…"

"I just can't help but feeling like I'm the only one who's really into it, you know? That I love her but that she doesn't love me back, not the way I do… I felt like I'm nothing but just a ticket out of the castle."

"Now you're just saying that. You know it's definitely not true. Your father didn't need to tell me I was right all along because the first moment you two walked in through that door I knew you two liked each other. No one can fool me. You know I've got a lot of experience."

"Yeah, but I felt like it…" The boy sighed sadly. "I just wished it could be easier to love her, you know…"

"Anything worth it in this life isn't easy, kid. Which only make us hold on tighter to what matters."

"Yeah, I guess so, but it doesn't help me, I don't know what to do…"

"Just calm down and try to talk to her. Try to understand her side of it and make her understand yours. You love each other; you just need to get to an agreement. And remember that this whole situation is very new and different for her. You're hurt and I'm not taking it for granted, but for her it's difficult as well being in an unknown place with all that's happening, she's probably just scared. Be patient, if there's one thing I know in this life beside piracy it that women are complicated."

"You're right about that… Geez, I never knew girls could be so complicated… They could come with a manual, though. I'd love to read about how their mind works, it would make things easier…"

"Indeed it would…" Stan mumbled with a joking tone.

Meanwhile, as Robbie walked out of the shop and into the home part, he saw Soos and Melody in the kitchen and Roderick in the living room, waiting for lunch to be ready. Then he made his way upstairs and knocked on the first door.

"Not now, Dipper." Mabel's voice came from the other side of the door. Robbie laughed lightly.

"It's not the looser. Can I come in?"

"Oh. Okay. Sure." She answered and so he entered. Mabel was at the table, with lots of cloths and textiles in front of her. Robbie looked at her confused; she understood his expression so she explained him.

"I'm sewing. It helps me relax. It's another skirt for me."

"Don't you already have a lot of those? And I'm no expert, but isn't that skirt a little bit too… revealing? Especially for a highborn girl like you?"

"You're right, it's a high-low skirt, but it's supposed to be used with pants. Kinda like the pink one I used yesterday at the ship. But this one is going to be short in the front part, instead on the side. You know, I've always wanted to be able to just do different stuff like that."

"Different is a good definition for it. I've never seen something like that before. That is, until you used something like that yesterday."

"Thanks."

"By the way, I noticed you and Dipper got home kinda shaken up… Something happened? What did that idiot do now?"

"I didn't know you actually cared if Dip and I are on good or bad terms."

"Well, I don't care much about Dipper, but the thing is that there isn't much to do and your argument is the most interesting thing I have right not."

"Your sincerity is touching." She said with a joking tone. "But yeah, he's being really idiot, right about now…"

"Yeah, well, maybe I should explain you some stuff… You see, the problem with Dipper is that he's smart."

Mabel looked to one side and then the other.

"Say, what?"

"Exactly. He's smart. And because of that, he thinks he's always right and that he knows everything. It's really annoying, actually."

"Thanks, but… what does that have to do with anything?"

"It's just that sometimes, all he needs is someone to bang him in the head and show him he's wrong."

"I don't think that's very helpful, but thanks."

"It is. But, seriously, what did he do?"

"He's just not understanding me. And now, he was supposed to be teaching me how to defend myself so I can train to be a pirate, but he's too busy in tantrum."

"Well you don't need him. You've got me. What do you want to do?"

"Wait, you can actually teach me how to defend myself?"

"Of course. Though I actually like the offensive than the defensive instance."

"I wouldn't expect anything else from you. In that case, then, I'd like to know how to knockout someone very quickly.

"With one hit? Easy. By the way, would you like me to get Dipper for a real-life demonstration?"

"That's not gonna be necessary. And you really must hate him."

"Nah, I just like to pick on him. Anyway, when we were young, we trained a little with the other. Well, it wasn't exactly training because it usually soon developed in a real fight, but that's beside the point…" Robbie mumbled remembering the past with a sarcastic grin on his lips. "Anyway, the most effective ways I can remember right now are the jaw punch, the temple punch, the back hit and the throat stab. Obviously you have to use strength, you have to hit it like you mean it, otherwise you will not even knockout an old lady. But if you go with too much strength, you might end up killing so much, which is great if that's what you're trying to do."

"Supposing that I don't want to kill anyone, then. Which would be better and how can I do then? I mean, where could I hit the person?" She asked very confused. Dipper used to explain while showing her what to do, Robbie, on the other hand, just blabbed and expected her to understand, though she was indeed grateful that he was at least trying to help her.

"Usually the head. Except for the throat stab. That would be in the throat, obviously."

Mabel sighed. Robbie was trying she could see that. But it was so much easier with Dipper she couldn't wait for him to be showing her everything. It took them a long while, but finally, he managed to show the right places that would give her an effective and quick knockout in someone.

After that, it was lunchtime, though it was a little awkward, since Dipper and Mabel barely spoke and usually she's so cheerful and noisy that the contrast could be noticed from afar.

Roderick decided not to get on the way, though. So after lunch, he decided to go for a walk. Stan, on the other hand, decided he needed to do something about it. He was not going to let his favorite and only grandnephew and grandniece feeling miserable. Even though Dipper told him about the possibility of Mabel actually be the King's real daughter when they talked earlier.

So, Stan told Mabel that, maybe, all she and Dipper needed to do was to talk about it and reason with him, away from the house and everyone. He suggested, then that they'd go get Wendy, later that afternoon. They could take a walk through the longest way and go very slowly to do so, and Stan assured them that by the time they reached Wendy's place, they'd have already made up.

As they walked down the streets, silence accompanied them through a long way, neither daring to say something. If it continued like that, they would get to Wendy's house and back without saying a word to the other. The place was less crowded than the market; this was a quiet street they choose for their path, only a few people could be seen walking near them. Though they could hear steps and carriages being pulled by horses not far.

"So… why did you think those men could be after you? Any particular reason or you just wanted to call me brother?" Dipper decided to finally ask with a bit more of bitterness than he intended.

"Of course there was a reason. But I don't know if it makes sense anymore, I just… At the time I just said the first thing that came into my head. But the thing is that they were carrying daggers."

"Yeah, you said that. Expensive ones, so what?"

"It's because at the pommel, there was a heraldry symbol."

"What symbol?"

"The symbol was the one that the people that work for Gideon's family bore. Well, at least I think it was, I couldn't see clearly, however I did see the shape of a serpent." She sighed sadly and stopped walking to look him in the eye, he couldn't help but give her his full attention. "Dipper, I might be free here, but if I go back, I'm engaged and loving you or not won't matter. I'll have to marry Gideon. I don't want that, I want you."

"I know, but when you said that it seemed so easy for you. Like it didn't even matter the fact we're actually related."

"Of course I care, Dipper. We wouldn't care if it weren't truth. I wanted to give them the idea that live here, that I have a family in here. Telling them you're my boyfriend wouldn't do it, but it was not easy for me to say that, I only managed because I found the strength to do that in order to stay with you."

"Really?"

"Obviously, oh paranoid one."

"Then why don't you just trust me?"

"I trust you. I just don't want to talk about that. It's over and I just want to let it go. I'm not coming back and that's what matters, don't you think?"

"Fine, you're right. But don't do that again. At least not without warning me first, you took me by surprise. Don't do that anymore."

"Okay, I promise. Unless it's an emergency again."

Dipper agreed and leaned to give her a soft kiss, already missing her wet lips for too long. She kissed him back and their soft kiss soon turned into a deeper one. Both, now happy with the agreement, continued walking their path, with no hurry.

By then, the sun had already set and the sky was turning darker as the minutes passed by. The streets were getting darker and even quieter. Even so, Dipper wasn't worried, that is until he heard an eerie well known voice speaking from the darkness.

"You were right, Toby, they're quite close indeed." Dipper froze in place as he recognized the voice. Getting out of the shadows that hid his frame, Captain Ivan emerged with a devilishly grin and he continued with the same sarcastic tone. "We've been watching you for a while and you know what? You're very predictable."

"Blind Ivan." The young pirate hissed, promptly putting himself in front of Mabel while pushing her behind him with a hand and reaching his sword's hilt with the other.

"Oh, you remember me. I'm pleased. But, this time, I didn't come here for you." Dipper quickly realized what that meant. If they weren't after him, they were here for Mabel. He gulped.

"Mabel, go back home." She heard him whisper to her while withdrawing his sword.

"But I cannot leave you alone."

"You can and you will." The urgency in his tone made her heart race as she realized this whole situation was even more dangerous than she realized. Both teenagers gave some steps back and hers were even bigger as she tried to run back to Stan's place as he recommended.

"Oh, do you really think it would be that easy?" Blind Ivan's eerie voice said and as soon as the couple were separated enough, more pirates from Ivan's crew started appearing, seemingly from nowhere, but in fact, they were just hiding and waiting for the right moment to show up.

One of the big, bulky and smelly pirates grabbed Mabel from behind, and even if she tried her best to break free, she couldn't. Dipper didn't need to turn his head to see that, he could perceive that through his peripheral vision, his main attention was directed to Ivan and the other pirates that were now holding their swords.

"Let me go! Let me go right now or… Or I'll scream!"

"Is that the best you've got?" Mocked the pirate that was holding her. Ivan laughed.

"You can scream whatever you want, no one will come for your aid. Do you really think that even if someone hear you, ordinary people would go against half a pirate's crew just for some weird girl they don't know?"

"Blind Ivan, just let her go. Please, she's got nothing to do with it. You can take me; my dad will pay you enough. Just let her go."

"Oh, but I can't. And I don't care how much he'd pay me; I have someone willing to pay a lot more for her. After all, she's the princess."

"How do you know?" Dipper asked automatically, his heart beating faster and faster.

"Oh, you stupid. I know a lot of things that you don't, kid."

The young pirate, however, didn't have much time to be thunderstruck because in a blink of an eye, two pirates jumped aiming their swords on him. Dipper had to dodge and swing his long sword to block the attacks.

Dipper kept fighting and doing his best not to get hit and he managed to do a lot of damage in several pirates that started attacking him. However, he was in a big disadvantage and even with all his ten years of intense training, he was too outnumbered.

Mabel noticed he was struggling too much to keep fighting; it didn't take long before he got empowered by the various pirate enemies. In fear, she saw them sending his weapon to the ground and they soon started to grab his arms. It all happens very fast and soon he was being held by four pirates bigger than him. Two in each side, but at least Dipper managed to hurt and cut some them, though not as much as he'd want to.

Even if Dipper knew it was useless, he tried to struggle nonetheless, but it only made the pirates hold him tighter. He was helpless and breathing heavily.

"No! Don't hurt him. Please don't hurt him." Mabel cried as she realized it was very easy for them to kill Dipper and there was nothing she could do. Captain Ivan smiled devilishly, feeling triumphant.

"You shouldn't be so worried about him, my dear. You should be worried about yourself. He'll live, but only for one reason. I'll like to leave him behind, knowing we've taken his precious princess, completely powerless to save you." Ivan said in his dark voice that made both Dipper and Mabel shiver. The captain got a white cloth and a small glass bottle from the inside pockets of his coat. He poured the liquid inside the bottle on the cloth.

"What?" She asked confused watching him give Toby the bottle and then approach her with the cloth still in his right hand.

Dipper soon understood and tried to struggle even more, demanding Ivan not to do this. Mabel didn't know what that was but she knew it was not a good thing so she tried to hold her breath as the captain pressed it against her nose, covering half of her face. She couldn't help it, she had to breathe, and the more she breathed, the dizzier she got.

Mabel struggled for a few seconds, but then she had no energy anymore. She felt her fingers getting numb, her legs got weak and she'd have fallen if it weren't for the big bulky man holding her and his arms. Her vision and hearing began to fail. She was starting to breathe slower as she was losing conscience. Dipper watched worried as her head started to hang to the sides and Ivan still pressuring the very wet cloth on her face for several minutes until she had completely fainted.

As soon as Blind Ivan got away from her, the pirate that was holding Mabel positioned her over his shoulder so it would be easier to carry the girl all the way back to the ship. No on noticed her long golden necklace falling to the ground as her head was down on the man's back.

Then, the Captain turned to Dipper. The boy was furious and still trying to resist, looking at that tall strong man taking his beloved away.

"Ivan, you son of a bitch! I'm gonna kill you for this!" Dipper swore shouting.

"No, you won't, kid. And even when we encounter again, it will be too late."

"Too late? What do you mean with 'too late'? What are you going to do with her?"

"It doesn't concern you. You won't be able to stop us." Ivan laughed and he lowered to get a rock on the floor. He twisted it in his hand, his devilish smile never leaving his lips. "And do you know why? Because you'll be too busy sleeping and then, we'll be long gone. You'll never find us in time. Bid farewell to your precious princess."

"No! You can't do this!"

"But I already did."

Blind Ivan gripped the rock tightly in his hand and Dipper took a deep breath as he realized just what he'd do with that. The next second, Ivan hit the boy's temple using the rock with great impact. His vision blacked immediately and he barely even felt as he collided against the floor when the pirates finally let him go.

* * *

 **Dan! Dan Dan!**

 **I** **hope you all enjoyed it! Don't forget to leave me a review with what you guys think might happen next or if you liked the chap! And the more reviews I get, the faster I'll try to update! :D**

 **Oh, out of curiosity, some might like to know that the name Salus (the city), is Latin for "Haven". Which is quite ironic, I think...**

 ** _Itban Fuyu_  
**


	26. 25 - To The Rescue

**Hi, guys! The new chap is finally here! :D**

 **But before the chap start, I'd like to answer the Guest reviews of last chap (I'm only answering those because I have something to answer, but thanks to everyone who left simple reviews, too!):**

 **Guest (from Jan 6): Thanks so much for that big review! Yeah, Roderick would probably accept better if he could see the DNA test... But he'll come around, eventually. And yeah, Stan knew all along, I couldn't imagine it another way, lol. Yes, we're very complicated... A fight between Dipper and Gideon is something I imagined in the early concepts of the story, it is something I wanted to do, I just don't see how this will be possible, unfortunately... About Bill, yeah, he's not showing up in this fic, since there's no magic, but, since you asked, again, on the early concept of the story, there'd be a wizard (kinda like a Gipsy) named Bill (wearing black and yellow and triangular things), that had some issues against the king and he'd try to get even by doing something agains his daughter, some kind of a potion that could tell which one was the king's offspring, and they'd both drink it, but only Mabel would get affected because she's really his daughter. That was how they'd be sure tat they are half-siblings... However, I kinda gave up because it'd deviate from the plot and would be just too complicated... u.u**

 ** **Karly Kat 13: Thanks for reviewing and thanks for leaving constructive criticism instead of just yelling or saying it's bad. But I wonder, why you feel like that when they mention the castle? Did you feel it from the beginning, since Mabel asked not to go back? It is an important issue throughout the story and I'm sorry you didn't like it, but the subject is coming back at least once or twice in the story...****

 ** **.****

 ** **Oh, and just a warning! Just so you know, this chap is a bit more intense and serious than the previous ones, but it is still rated T.****

* * *

 **Chapter 25**

 **To The Rescue**

Dipper slowly opened his eyes. All he could feel at first was a sharp pain in his head. He moaned confused and sore. _Where am I? Why am I on the floor?_ He asked himself as he tried to sit up, the blurry vision slowly coming into focus. He looked around, trying to understand or remember where he was and how he ended up there.

He looked at the floor, something caught his sight in contrast with the grayish rocky ground, and it was golden. Still confused, he grabbed the object and took a closer look.

 _Locket… A golden locket… It look's like Mabel's pendant… Mabel… Mabel!_ And suddenly, all came back to him. The pirates attacking, Blind Ivan's evil plan, even that big pirate taking away Mabel on his shoulders as if she were some kind of sack.

All those remembrances took his breath away and he clenched his fist onto the golden locket. He looked up. It was night, but he had no idea how late it was or how long he had been unconscious. His heart was racing faster than it had ever beaten, so worried, anxious and desperate he was.

Dipper stood up so fast he almost lost balance, and even with unsteady steps, he managed to run back home. He needed his father's support to take her back; he didn't even know where to begin. Still confused, with a slightly blurry vision and tripping once or twice, he got there panting for air as fast as he could.

As he got closer, he could hear Wendy's voice saying something like it was late and she thought she should come for dinner. Then, Robbie mentioned that Dipper and Mabel had gone after her over an hour ago. Over one hour! Dipper quickly did the math and realized he had probably been out for several minutes, considering they were attacked around half an hour after they left the house.

"Oh, that's wonderful, they must be hanging out together! They're so cute!" The red haired girl replied happily and laughing. Until then, no one noticed his presence as he took his breath back from the run.

"No… We're not… She… She was taken…" He said, his eyes were watery now and it was hard to admit it. He felt that once it was said out loud, it would be really real. Everyone's attention turned to him. "I… I couldn't do anything…"

No one was understanding why he was so shaken up, they were so used to Salus City being a safe place that no one thought at first something bad could have happen. Wendy and Robbie exchanged looks, the man just shrugged, not really caring for the younger pirate. Melody didn't know what was going on, but she decided to leave them alone to talk about it, so she went back to the kitchen.

"Son, what are you talking about? Where's Mabel? Wait; is that blood in your head? Son, what happened to you?" Roderick quickly approached his son when he realized the thin line of blood on his temple partly hidden by his chestnut hair. He suddenly was overwhelmed by his protective fatherly instincts, frowning as he noticed something was way off. "Have you hit your head? You're probably with a concussion right now, you need to sit down."

"No! Don't you get it? She's in danger! They took her!"

"What? Kid, you're not making any sense… You hit your head pretty hard, didn't you?" Grunkle Stan asked confused, rubbing the back of his head. Yet, he still smelled a rat. They were all so used to be secure in Salus City that even if they all noticed something was wrong; their first thought could never be of something too serious. Besides, Dipper's voice was a bit slurred and assumed to be sort of delusional because of the hit in his head.

"Mabel. I'm talking about Mabel! She was taken. Blind Ivan and his crew took her! I tried to do something but I couldn't, there were too many of them and I couldn't protect her. I couldn't do anything." Dipper yelled, nervous. "And I don't know what to do. I don't know where they're now. Blind Ivan knew she is the princess, he's going to do something to her, we need to stop them! We need to get her back!"

Roderick gulped and his heart flipped. But he had to keep calm for everyone's sake, especially Dipper and Mabel's. They needed him right now and he couldn't have the luxury of losing himself for despair like his son was doing. The captain took a few deep breaths, thinking what he could do now. And then, he made up his mind.

"Wendy, Robbie, we're gonna need help. Get everyone from our crew, throw water at them if they're too drunk, drag them out of the taverns or brothels if need be. Tell them all we have a really big emergency and send them to the ship, they need to prepare the ship to depart while you two go after the rest of the crew, they're probably spread all over the shore, enjoying their time here. And if, by any chance, some of them complain about it, tell them they're lucky that I don't have time to personally kill them for disobeying in a time like this. We're going to find and fight Blind Ivan's crew to get Mabel back."

"Aye, sir." Both answered at the same time and ran out of the door as fast as they could.

"Soos." The chubby man nodded as his captain called in a very demanding tone, still. "Go talk with Stan's friend, you know, the owner of the tavern Dipper and Mabel disguised themselves once. As a retired pirate as well, he has a lot of people scouting the docks and area around the tavern, maybe someone knows where Blind Ivan headed to."

"Aye, sir. But… how do you know Ivan left the city? He could still be around, couldn't he?"

"No, he's not that stupid. Since he got her, he's not staying around, waiting for us to go after him. Now go." Soos nodded before he turned to ran out the door. Then, Roderick turned to his son, sitting on a chair.

"You're staying here, Dipper. You're in no condition to fight."

"You're delusional if you think I'll stay. I won't let her down. I refuse to stay here. I promised her I'd keep her safe and I'm going to keep that promise. I'll go with you."

"I didn't ask, Dipper. You're staying."

"You know that's not gonna work, right? You can boss me around as captain and father whenever you want, but when it's something related to her, you can't order me to do anything."

"Geez, you're so stubborn! You're end up getting yourself killed!" He exasperated running his nervous hand in his dark blond hair.

"Roderick, I'm coming too." Stan stated, grabbing his old pirate outfit.

"Uncle Stan, don't you think you're a little bit old for that?" asked the pirate, confused.

"I can still kick your butt, more respect. And admit it, you're gonna need all the help you can get. Besides, you didn't think I was gonna leave my supposedly grandniece in need, right?"

"Okay, then. I just hope we can find out the direction Blind Ivan ran away. Our ship is very fast and maybe we can catch up with them if we leave soon. But we need to know where to go to."

"Maybe I know…" Dipper's low voice almost couldn't be heard, if it wasn't so quiet in the living room with just the three of them in there. "Blind Ivan knew Mabel is the princess, he told me something about people paying for her, I think he's going after the people he's working for. And I think they're at the capitol."

"Great, but son, there's no certainty in it. There could be a million reasons why someone could want the princess and it doesn't mean they have to be from the capitol or be there right now."

"I know, it's just instinct. If Soos find out Ivan's ship headed South, I bet there's where they'd be going."

Blind Ivan ordered the man holding Mabel to take her to his room. The pirate complied and threw the girl on the bed, leaving her there, and stirring from the sudden movement, but she didn't wake up, yet. Since Ivan was in a hurry, he left the cloth stained with the liquid on her nose, to prevent her from waking.

Minutes later, Blind Ivan's ship was finally heading to its next destination. Then, Ivan was unconcerned, so sure of victory he was. Smiling wickedly, he announced to the crew he was going back to his chambers and he didn't want to be disturbed at all. The pirates exchanged looks and laughed quietly, knowing the girl was there.

Since it was already late at night when the ship set sail, some men decided to rest their tired bones in their nets in the Berth Deck, right below the Main Deck. Unlike Roderick's ship, Blind Ivan's didn't have an extra floor, so they all slept in the same place where the cannons stayed. Meanwhile, Blind Ivan made his way back to his room with a bottle of rum in his hand.

The pirate captain took the wet cloth from her nose and threw it over his shoulder recklessly. He sat on a chair not far from the bed and watched her slowly getting up in a few minutes, drinking his rum.

It took a long while before Mabel started to regain consciousness. She moaned with the feeling of a headache, actually, it was more like a hangover added with a bit of nausea. She tried to open her eyes, but soon covered it, feeling the need to rub her sore eyes, even if it wasn't too bright in the room. The confusion was so great she didn't even know the first thing she needed to ask in order to understand the situation she was in.

"What..." She moaned finally able to open her eyes. The room was quite dark, only the moonlight and a few candles was lighting up the room. Mabel shivered as she caught sight of the eerie figure of Blind Ivan, sat a few inches from the bed she was on.

"You're finally awake..."

"Wh-where am I? What's going on?"

"Don't you remember anything?"

Mabel tried to back away from him, but at the other side of the bed, she only found wooden wall. "Dipper! He was with me, what did you do with him?"

"Oh, don't worry about him. He's alive, though probably in pain. But you're never seeing him again anyway." A shiver ran down her spine.

"What do you mean...?" She began and then remembered something, "Wait, you said someone would pay for me, didn't you? Did my father send you?" it didn't cross her mind her father would do this to harm her, she was confused and was just wondering if he would pay pirates to rob pirates. If she thought well, though, she'd have realized it didn't make any sense.

In response, Blind Ivan began to laugh uncontrollably. "Do you really think the king would do such a thing? No. That idiot of a king doesn't even know I exist." He said and she tried to back away again, something in the tone of his voice was making her very uneasy. The stinging headache was clouding her thoughts, it was like she just couldn't think straight, but her instinct wouldn't fail her.

"But then… who is going to pay you for me? Look, whoever it is, my dad can reward you greatly if you deliver me unharmed." Her fear was growing stronger and her heartbeat was going faster and faster. If he wasn't taking her to his father, who wanted her so badly to pay pirates to get her? "Whom are you working for? What do they want from me?"

"Those are good questions. You see, you're an obstacle some people want to get rid of, so they're paying me to dispose of you."

"But… what? Who would do something like that?"

"Just think a little bit, girl. You're in the way of someone, who could that be?"

"I… don't know…"

"Come on, you're not that stupid. You're the next in line for the throne of the kingdom. Who would benefit if you suddenly vanished?"

Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes widened. Ivan smiled to see she realizing who was behind it all.

"No! It… It can't be. Not my Aunt Northwest." She mumbled, not believing her own flash and blood would betray her. King Albert's sister was the next in line for the throne, she might never been close to her aunt Northwest or her cousin Pacifica, not like her aunt Mary who raised her. However, Mabel never thought she'd want to get rid of her. She also never imagined the people she could count on would turn on her like that.

"And her husband. He wants more power too, even if just being the consort of the queen."

"No! It can't be true!" Her eyes were wet and tears were starting to run down her cheeks.

"But it is. And they're paying me handsomely to deliver your dead corpse. You're only alive now because the trip back will take at least three days and I don't want you rotting in my ship." That moment, Mabel felt really queasy, like she was nothing more than a thing to be disposed by her own family. "Besides, a pretty girl like you will have a lot of different uses to me."

"What?" She was confused, feeling lost and even sobbing a little. Mabel couldn't even think straight; her mind was in a haze.

"Since we're gonna get rid of you, I should at least enjoy you."

The content of Ivan's bottle was almost finishing; he took another long sip and left it on the bedside table, close to where the girl was sat. Then, he stood up from the chair and approached the young princess, grabbing her arms roughly so he could force her to lie down again, positioning himself on top of her. Still very numb and dizzy, it took Mabel some seconds to realize just what he was trying to do; it wasn't until he tried to open the strings of her bodice that she started to fight him.

"No. No! Please don't do this!" She pleaded, trying to prevent him from going any further, but it was useless. Mabel started to sob even more. It was very difficult to concentrate or put her thoughts in order.

"Shut up!" Blind Ivan soon started to rip her shirt, in a desperate way to have an easy access to her skin. So shaken up, she mindlessly tried to push him away and it wasn't working, as he made efforts to take her long skirt out of the way.

"No! Don't. Please don't!"

And then, Mabel remembered something. Dipper had taught her a little bit of self defense, and of one the first things he taught her was how to protect her self when someone tried to attack during her sleep, which was a very familiar situation. However, she didn't really know what to do, her despair was so great that clouded her mind. She couldn't remember his lessons, in fact, she could barely think.

Attempting to back away, Mabel did her best to protect herself, pushing him away and trying to kick him or at least keep Ivan away with her knees. He ignored her and just kept on opening the rest of the bodice, quickly getting rid of the strings that bind it in place. She never felt so vulnerable in her whole life.

"Stop it!" Without having an idea of what to do, suddenly, she looked to her side and just acted. Grabbing the nozzle of the bottle on the bedside table, she suddenly collided it to the back of his head with all her strength; she only had the time to close her eyes to protect them from the pieces of glass falling on her.

It was surprising that it worked, and when she noticed, his body just collapsed motionless on top of her. Mabel pushed him to the side so she could have an open way out of that hideous bed. She didn't know if she killed him or not, but she didn't really care at the moment. All she wanted and cared about was to get out of there safely. Thinking back, she realized he might be unconscious, since, as Robbie taught her, one way to knock out someone was by hitting on the back of the head like she did. But all she did to protect herself was out of pure instinct instead of actual knowledge.

She stood up and tried to put herself together, but her hands were shaking too much to do so. She attempted to leave, however, the door was locked. And then, it hit her. She had nowhere to go anyway, they were in the middle of the ocean. She was trapped inside and if Blind Ivan was still alive, he'd definitely do something even worse when he wakes up, if he was dead, the crew probably wouldn't have mercy on her.

Leaning her back on the wooden door, she soon slid down to the floor, sobbing and crying nonstop. She didn't know for how long she stayed there, but she knew it was a long time until she could calm down enough to hear a big commotion out side.

For a moment, she wondered for how long there was something going on and what could it be. Sniffing a little, she tried to pay attention to the sounds, and then she realized there were clanging sounds, like metal colliding with metal, which reminded her of sword fighting. And then, she heard her name, and it wasn't from an ordinary person, it was Dipper's voice.

"Dip..." She whispered to herself in surprise, waiting to hear it again so she could confirm she was not going insane thinking she was hearing things. It took only a few seconds that felt like an eternity, but finally she heard it again, her name being called at the top of her beloved's lungs. "Dipper! Dipper, I'm here!" Mabel called quickly standing up, hoping it wasn't a dream, and then she started to slam the door.

Moments before, outside of the captain's cabin, Roderick's ship had just paralleled with Ivan's. Boards soon connected both decks and Roderick's crew jumped inside the enemies' territory with their swords in hand; ready to fight. Dipper was one of the first ones to enter Ivan's ship, already crying for Mabel. Luckily, it wasn't long before he heard her voice calling for him.

Dipper followed the sound of her voice as fast as his legs could carry him, with his father right behind him, worried that his son might get too distracted while trying to save the girl he loves. Roderick's top priority was to get his son and supposedly daughter out of there safely, and he knew Dipper wasn't thinking straight.

Following her voice and logic that she could only be in the captain's cabin, Dipper went directly there, colliding against the door because he wasn't able to stop before, so fast he ran.

"Mabel! Are you in there?!"

"Dipper! Help me! I'm locked inside, I can't get out!"

"Don't worry, I'll fix it. Get away from the door." She immediately complied and so Dipper started to break the door with Roderick's help. It didn't take long before they could finally enter.

As soon as the door was open, instead of looking for possible threats like he knew he should, Dipper just searched for her.

His heart leaped at the sight of his very shaken up girl with red puffy eyes, messy hair and ripped shirt with half opened bodice.

"What did they do to you?" His voice failed and he raised his hands, reaching for her but stopped halfway. He was afraid she might not want to be touched by no one if Blind Ivan did something to her.

He was feeling totally numb and didn't know what to do or think. However, Mabel embracing him out of a sudden interrupted his thoughts, her eyes were wet and she sobbed on his chest. He sighed, in relief that she was at least alive and embraced her back as tight as he could and that made the girl feel secure in his arms.

"You're safe now. I'm gonna get you out of here."

"Mabel…" Roderick called and both teenagers turn to look at him, though none would let go of the other. Roderick pointed to Ivan's fainted body, the back of his head with a bit of blood and glass all around him. Dipper was surprised because he hasn't seen it before. "Did you do that?"

"Yes…"

The captain was really impressed and surprised. Dipper was thunderstruck as well, but he didn't have time for that. "We can talk about this later. Let's go, now." He announced putting his black leather overcoat on her so she could cover what Ivan did to her shirt. Besides, it could help to protect herself, it was just leather, but it could prevent her flesh from being cut if a blade got close enough to graze her.

Dipper withdrew his sword with the right hand and with the left; he held hers, saying he was taking her out of that place. Next thing she knew, he was pulling her to the main deck by the hand. Roderick stayed behind, although he didn't want to take Blind Ivan out of his misery, he refused to leave without making the rival pirate pay for whatever he did to the princess with his life.

Mabel lost her breath at the sight of the main deck. There were various pirates from both crews fighting for their lives. Luckily, it was night so even with the moonlight; she couldn't see details or the blood of those fallen on the wooden floor. The girl covered her mouth almost shouting in despair, she had never seen something so disturbing, especially after what almost happened. It was a lot to take in and if Dipper wasn't pulling her, she'd probably not be able to move.

Meanwhile, Dipper was being careful not to get in trouble trying to take Mabel to safety. Unfortunately, the symptoms of Dipper's concussion were getting in in his way. His balance and sight still weren't completely normal, and since it was dark, he barely saw one of the pirates he had fought earlier jumping in front of their way, the young man almost didn't have enough time to block the sword attack.

Stunned from the dizziness and surprise, Dipper only noticed the pirate playing the dirty trick to unable him by kicking his knee when it was too little too late. The young pirate fell to the ground crying in pain as Mabel tried her best to help him stand up. Luckily for them both, Robbie was near and saw that right on time to cover them using his own sword, fighting the evil pirate.

"Mabel, get inside our ship! Go! You'll be safe there!" Dipper told her, feeling too much hurt to walk, the pain in his knee was close to unbearable, but Mabel was still his priority.

"I'm not leaving you!"

"Soos! Get him outta here!" Robbie yelled. The chubby man was close and soon noticed his friends in need and helped him up while Robbie just pushed Mabel after Soos to their ship.

While they were finally going out of Blind Ivan's ship out of the confusion, Stan, who was near, saw it and went after them, worried for his grandnephew and supposedly grandniece.

Roderick, however, had to lead his men, and now that Mabel was secure, they could finally leave. The captain gave a signal and his crew quickly started to make their way out of there. The ones already at the ship worked in turning the ship around to leave while the others jumped inside Roderick's main deck.

Determined not to let Blind Ivan's crew being a pain so soon, at the Gun deck, Stan ordered some men to prepare the cannons to shoot as they slowly got further away. They couldn't use the cannons before because Mabel was there, now nothing could stop them. Meanwhile, Ivan's crew was lost and disoriented without their leader.

Soos carried Dipper to the infirmary and Mabel went right behind. Robbie was now far away, searching for Wendy.

Mabel was worried about Dipper, who couldn't stop moaning in pain. Soos had to quickly rip out the pants around the boy's right knee so he could take a look at it. The truth was that Soos was the closest thing they had to a doctor, he might not look that smart, but he knew how to do a lot of things and he liked to learn to take care of people.

"The good news is that it doesn't seem broken, but it's swollen and dislocated." The chubby man was right to the point. "I'll have to put it back soon and it is going to hurt, dude."

"Just do it and get over with it." He mumbled between his teeth, trying to hold on. Mabel grabbed his hand; it was all she could do to help him at that moment.

Soos was fast but very careful, and soon, Dipper yelled squeezing his girlfriend's hand. It took him a moment until he could calm down and start to breathe in a normal pace again. Suddenly, the ship trembled vigorously and Dipper immediately hugged Mabel in an attempt to protect her.

"What was that?" She asked confused and scared.

"They're probably shooting at us. We started shooting them a while ago, didn't you hear that?" Soos answered her.

"So those noises were the cannons?" The ship was shaken again, but this time wasn't as strong as the first time.

"Yep. But don't worry; by the sound and movement, neither hit our ship, just the water around it. We're probably too far away and it's too dark for them to aim properly. Soon we'll be definitely out of reach and sight. Everything's gonna be okay now." The handy man answered again, Dipper was still catching his breath to speak. "Now, Mabel, do you think you can bandage his knee for me? I really need to see if someone else needs to be taken cared of."

"Sure." She whispered as he handed her the bandages and left in a hurry, leaving the two alone. Dipper, however, wasn't worried about it; instead, he was noticing the girl's hands trembling.

"Mabel, stop it. It's not important, let it go." He grabbed her hands gently, "What happened there, Mabel? What did they do to you?"

"I need to do this, you're hurt because of me…"

"No. I'm hurt because I was stupid. Just answer me."

Mabel looked at him, tears forming again on her pretty eyes and she started to sob. He shifted on the infirmary bed to get closer to her and she couldn't help but hug him tightly. At that moment, Roderick and Stan slowly approached the infirmary's entrance.

"Oh, Dipper! It was horrible!"

He pushed her closer to sit beside him and caressed the hair behind her head to soothe her down. Her voice came failing from the sobs. "First, h-he told me something awful! He was after me because he wanted… he wan-ted to k-kill me, and it was my aunt—my own family who asked it. Th-they're paying them to kill me."

"What?" He was confused, though he knew it would only get worse.

"Yes. Because they want my crown and my throne." She sobbed again. "I'm nothing but a hurdle in their way, something to get rid of… They're my family. My own family! How could they betray me like that? Th-they… they are my family…"

For a moment, Dipper was so confused he didn't even know what to do; he didn't expect to hear to hear something strong like that.

"And the worst part was that later, he got on top of me. He tried to r-rape me. I couldn't do anything. I still don't know how I stopped him… But even after I did that, I was so afraid. I had nowhere to go… I was trapped inside with the unconscious captain but when he'd wake up, he'd surely do something, and if he were dead, the crew would make me pay… I thought they'd… I thought I'd spend three days in hell only to be killed… I was so scared!"

She was crying on his chest nonstop and he didn't know if he could do something to help her. He didn't know if he could ever make her be that happy-go girl he fell in love with after that. Dipper hugged her even tighter, trying to show her she was safe now, words wouldn't be enough to make she feel better.

"Ma-maybe it was better if I had just die-"

"Don't say that." He quickly interrupted her. Still unnoticed, Roderick and Stan just exchanged sad looks. "Don't you ever say that. I missed you my whole life without even knowing you existed and now that I know you, I can't imagine my life without you."

"That's sweet but… You don't know how it feels like to be a girl trapped in a ship with a bunch of men, unable to do anything… Neither you don't know how it feels like be betrayed by your own family. She's been there my entire life, always around in the castle and so did her husband and daughter, Pacifica and I were raised together, I thought they loved me at least a little bit. How could they do something so horrible to me? I've never been so frightened in my whole life…" She sobbed again. "Thinking back, I believe she tried to poison me when I was younger, I remember feeling very sick for days and she was the one feeding me some weird soup and I only started to feel better when aunt Mary decided to feed me other stuff… How could I have been so blind?"

Indeed, he didn't know how it felt like, the crew was somehow part of his family and even so, they weren't close but he knew he could count on them. In fact, none of them complained when Wendy and Robbie called everyone to save her. He'd probably take forever until he could trust again if someone betrayed him. And there was no way he could know how vulnerable she felt in that cabin.

"No. They're not your family. I don't care if they're really by blood or not. Family doesn't do this kind of despicable thing. They're not your family. But I am. From now on, I am your family."

Confused and surprised, she backed away just enough to look him in the eye, wiping her wet cheeks. Something in the way he spoke was definitely stronger than a sibling thing, which she would never expect something brotherly from him.

"What to you mean?"

"Look, I know I haven't been doing a good job protecting you, and I promise I'll do better. I'll get stronger and faster, I'll be everything you need. I love you and I want to make you feel like that. I want to be your family, and not as a brother. I… I want to marry you. Maybe not right now, it's a bit soon, but I want that. I want you."

"Are you serious?"

She asked not believing his sweet truthful words, so shaken she had been lately. Almost getting raped and being betrayed like that by her own family made it very hard for her to believe easily like she used to do. It had shaken her up completely.

She was hurt and numb, though the kiss he suddenly gave her let her guard down and broke all of her walls. Because in that moment their lips met, she could feel how much he loves and wants her that was overwhelmingly better than feeling like nothing she felt moments ago.

"I'm deadly serious." He replied as soon as he parted the long kiss, oblivious to his father rolling his eyes at the door and Stan trying not to laugh from Roderick's reaction. He still needed to get used to them being together.

"But how could you want me?" She sniffed. "I was so useless… I couldn't do anything…"

Roderick then decided to interfere. "Now that's enough. You're definitely not useless, Mabel. And you did a lot." As he announced, the couple turned surprised at him. "And we're talking about that marriage thing later, son."

"I didn't do anything. I just sat there, helpless." She sighed.

"No, you didn't. You knocked out an experienced pirate all by yourself with barely two weeks of training. I couldn't do better after a month. You've got a natural talent. You're the strongest girl I know, and I don't mean physical strength. You take so much after your mother, yet you're so different as well. All you require is training and we'll train you. You only need time."

"Do you really think so?"

"I'm positive." Roderick said kneeling down to get in eye level to her sat on the infirmary bed. "But now, son, since you're better and we're safely out of reach, I'll need you to go back to your room."

"Hum… my room is Mabel's remember?"

"Oh, yeah, you're right. Then just go back to my chambers. You can stay on my bed; I don't think I'll be sleeping anyway. I've got too many things to do. We'll probably get back to Salus city at noon. I think you both need to rest a lot until then."

"Okay." The boy agreed.

"But Soos said you have to keep off that knee for a few days, so Robbie is gonna help you get there."

"Did I hear my name?" Robbie asked entering the infirmary.

"Yes. By the way, how's Wendy?" Roderick wondered.

"She's fine. Just a few scratches here and there. She's helping Soos to take care of the injured."

"Great. And I'm proud that you got out unharmed. I taught you well, kid." Robbie's face was filled with happiness.

"Thanks, sir."

By then, Stan offered a hand for Mabel to help her getting up so Robbie could support Dipper back to the captain's chambers. As they walked up stumbling, Roderick walked away, saying he needed to locate some people inside so they could get treated. Stan pushed Mabel by the hand, telling her she needed to rest and go to her room, not forgetting to cover her eyes before they left the infirmary with him leading her.

"Hum, Stan, what are you doing?"

"I think you saw enough blood and injuries for one night, girl. Let's take it one step at a time." He announced, worried about her. The truth is that the Berth/Gun deck was full of people hurt and injured from the fight, being treated by Soos and Wendy. Stan knew that, as a princess, she wasn't used to see strong scenes like this one and he noticed how shaken up she had been. "By the way, you can call me Grunkle, like Dipper does."

"Thanks…" She whispered. Stan only let go when they were in front of the officer's quarters' corridor, with Robbie already leaving to help Soos and Wendy.

Instead of going to her quarters, which was originally Dipper's, she went straight to the last door, the captain's chambers, opening it without even knocking, just like Dipper does. However, she only realized it when it was too little too late. He wasn't changing, though. He was only sitting on the bed, trying to get confortable, his knee was probably killing him, but he kept a strong façade. Now, he was using a different shirt and his boots were on the floor.

"Hi…" She mumbled closing the door behind her.

"Hi. Are you feeling better now?"

"A little… I was wondering if I could stay here with you, just for tonight. It's just that… you make me feel safe and I don't want to wake up alone."

"I… make you feel safe?" He asked skeptical. "Come on, I was ridiculous all night. I almost wasn't able to save you."

"You did all you could and fought bravely in great disadvantage." Mabel said approaching him and sitting by his side right after he had just scooch over to give her space. Then, she lied down, embracing his torso. Something suddenly came into her mind, with all the confusion; she had forgotten what was always hanging at her neck. Mabel sat up abruptly, touching her neck as if searching for what was lacking.

"I lost it…" Desperation again in her voice.

"Oh! Sorry, I forgot about it. I found your pendant on the floor when they kidnapped you. It probably fell back then." Dipper announced getting the locket from his neck and giving it to her. Mabel looked considerably relived as she reached for the golden object and put it over her neck.

"Thanks!" The princess exclaimed before lying down again and hugging him.

"You're welcome, but don't you want to get changed first?"

"No. I don't want to be away from you right now. You're the one keeping me sane… Keeping me from falling apart. You're all I have right now."

"That's not true. You can count on Roderick and Grunkle Stan. Even Soos, Wendy and Robbie. They all care about you."

"I know, but I love you. And I want you."

"Well, that's good because I do too." He kissed the top of her head and started to caress her hair. "Now try to sleep. It was a very stressful and exhausting night, you need to rest. Tomorrow will be better. I promise."

She felt the weight of the day wore her out; yet, it was difficult to just let her eyes close peacefully.

"I can still feel the way he held me. It was horrible. Only once I felt something like that before and I don't ever want to feel that again."

"Was it the day I tried to kidnap you?" He winced, mind already full of regret.

"No. You were kind." Her voice was sincere and sweet.

"Wait, then what are you talking about?"

"I can't talk about it right now. I don't want it. I just wish I could forget it all happened…" She sobbed, trying hard not to cry again. In fact, her cries were worrying him even more, he never saw her so down like that before. "I'm scared. What if they try to come after me again?"

"Don't worry, they won't come so soon and we'll be ready next time. We're in the middle of the ocean and they can't find us now anyway. You're totally safe now."

With that and the feeling of his gentle hand massaging her head to sooth her down, she was finally able to let herself drift off to sleep in his arms.

* * *

 **So, what do you think of the chap? I hope you all liked to read it! Leave me a review with your comments! :D**

 ** _Itban Fuyu_**


	27. 26 - Training and a Proposal

**Hello, dear readers! Here's the new chap! Finally!**

 **Before I start the chap, I just wanted to answer a Guest review (from Jan 13th):**

 **Yes, it wouldn't blend with the plot, but it would be nice... It's sad that I got to take that out... And thanks, it's good to know the early concepts were cool! And thanks so much for the "actual" review, as you said, you don't know how important it is to know those things! Indeed, I made that scene of them kissing in front of Roderick and Stan was exactly because of that, I guessed the chap was just too intense and needed a light moment, so I'm happy that it was your favorite! Yes, last chap was full of revelations... and I had forgotten that their names were Preston and Pricilla, thanks for reminding me, lol. BTW, yes, Pacifica is totally out of the scheme of them trying to kill Mabel, Pacifica had issues with her cousin, but she'd never kill her, she had no idea about her parents' plans. Yeah, I actually thought of doing that cliché, where she'd use her new knowledge to get away with it, but that only lasted for like a minute or two. I soon realized it would not be real, instinct would kick in, instead. And she does have a really good instinct of survival. You're very observant, indeed, change is coming soon, and I liked your examples (I just can't say or I'll give spoilers), but I wanted to say that you're not so far apart with Dipper's role, in fact, his role is not exactly the knight, since he's trying to teach her (and because he needed up pretty hurt during the rescue). And I liked your interpretations, but, again, I can't say much... But, I must say that no, she was not almost raped before, but that was a good guess. Sorry if this reply got so long, but I like to answer what people had to say and thanks so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Now, on with the chap!**

* * *

 **Chapter 26**

 **Training and a Proposal**

A few days had passed since they came back to Salus City. Everything seemed peaceful, though everyone kept looking over their shoulders for the possible return of Blind Ivan's crew, after all, even without its captain, they could still want vengeance or the money that would come with the princess. Stan even asked for his friend, the owner of the tavern, to keep an eye at the harbor for the enemy's ship. Luckily, though, it hadn't been spotted since.

From the day they reached Salus City, Stan began training Mabel just like he did with Dipper when he was just a kid. They started out slow, only two hours per day. One for using weapon, which the old man started with fake wooden made swords and knives and one hour to train without a weapon.

But that wasn't all. Grunkle Stan also told her she needed to get her body used to be more agile and hold a heavy sword, even though he wanted her to get a light one.

"Most of your enemies will be bigger and stronger than you. It doesn't matter if you're faster, though. No matter how big or strong they are, if you hit them first, they're out of the game and you're alive." It was Grunkle Stan's first lesson.

Therefore, in his trainings, he also made her hold his sword for long various minutes without moving. At first, she thought it was stupid and only made her arms sore. But after some time, she realized it was actually making her arms get used to the 1.8 kilo of his long sword. Though it still seemed stupid.

Besides, she had to work in the shop as well. Grunkle Stan believed that if she really wanted to be apart from the castle, she needed to start acting like a different person. So she couldn't have any kind of privileges just because she was a princess. She'd have to work just like Dipper or Robbie did. Although, Dipper was in bed rest because of the injury in his knee.

At the beginning, Dipper could barely get out of bed at all. So he often just stayed bored the entire day reading books until Mabel got the time to stay a little with him for a while. Usually, she took him breakfast and they just stayed together for around 10 minutes until she had to take the dishes down and start the first training, lunchtime was basically the same, though with 20 minutes of talking before she had to leave for the second time training.

When Mabel wasn't training, she was at the shop, so her days were tiring her out, she had never been used to do so much per day. So at the end, when she took him dinner and started to sew new clothes for her, she soon starts to fall asleep with needle in hand, leaving Dipper to take it from her before she got hurt. After a few minutes like that, the princess usually got up just to give him a goodnight kiss and go to her temporary room.

Dipper tried to convince Stan to stop making her work out so much, which the old man just answered that she could handle it. And it was true, each day seemed a little bit easier for her than the previous day. Besides, she was linking to be useful for a change.

Soos told Dipper that he had to stay off his knee for the first couple of days, and then he'd have to walk just a little per day with the help of someone, which ended up being Robbie. And later, the boy would have to work out slowly so his knee wouldn't dislocate again.

So the first day Dipper could finally get out of bed without Robbie's help and almost fall downstairs was a great for him. When Robbie heard the noise of someone pretty much falling, he run for the stairs.

"Geez, you stupid! You were supposed to wait for me!" Robbie complained helping Dipper stand.

"I wanted to do this for days. And, wait, is it just my imagination or are you actually worried for me?" The younger one finished with a slightly sarcastic tone. Robbie sighed impatiently.

"Don't be ridiculous, it's nothing like that. It's just that the captain told me to take care of you, but if you get hurt, he'll blame it on me!"

"Dip! You got down just by yourself?" Mabel was both surprised and proud.

"Yeah. By the way, did my dad already get out?"

"Yes, about half an hour ago."

Roderick and Soos were spending the day outside, the captain and his friend kept watching for the possibility of Blind Ivan to come back. They were all so worried about Ivan that Dipper and Mabel had completely forgotten about the two weird looking men with the highly expensive dagger with a snake symbol.

"Hey, Dip! After your breakfast you can watch me training with Grunkle Stan! I know I'm still terrible, but he told me I'm getting better."

"Sure! I'm dying to see it. I'll just grab something to eat first."

Mabel squeaked in happiness and jumped forward to kiss his lips, being careful not to unbalance him, since he was supporting himself manly with the left leg. Then, she sauntered to the back door, where Stan was waiting with wooden training swords.

Dipper couldn't help but smile seeing her so happy. The night of the rescue, she kind of fell asleep in his arms crying and for a moment there, he was afraid that she might never be that happy-go girl, smiling all the time and seeing the bright side of everything. But the truth was that even if Mabel was showing her happy side again, she was constantly looking over her shoulder. Almost being rapped and discovering to be betrayed by the people she believed took quite its tool on her, and she was afraid all the time. However, she would not let it get her down, and Mabel knew she was safe there anyway.

Dipper quickly got his breakfast and went to the small back yard of his Grunkle Stan's house. Obviously, he praised her at the end of it.

"Thanks Dip, but I know I'm not that good…"

"But you're doing better than me after months. Really you're a natural."

"Oh, but the boy is right. He was a complete disaster when he began. I thought he could never be good at it. At least he learned to read soon so she could at least be smart." The old man joined his grandnephew in cheering her up.

"Grunkle Stan, Dipper was only 6 when he started training, remember?" She asked rolling her eyes in a playful way. "If I wasn't doing better than him I think I'd cry or something."

"No need for it, then. You're probably tired now, let's go to the shop so you can sit for a bit."

"I'm fine. Grunkle Stan wasn't even too hard on me today." Mabel exclaimed walking up to Dipper, so she could use the excuse to help him walk to hug his torso. Not that they needed to hide anything because their relationship was pretty much obvious to everyone now.

The young couple then headed to the shop, where Wendy and Robbie were already spending their time. Roderick also demanded that it was better Mabel not stay with few people around, in case Blind Ivan came back, and that was why Stan also decided to stay around the whole day instead of going with his nephew and Soos. However, Stan usually stayed inside the house, relaxing and leaving the work for the teenagers.

At the morning, some customers passed by and bought a few things, but around 10:30 and 11 o'clock, the movement got really slow. It was always like that near lunchtime, probably because people were preparing their food.

Robbie decided to sit on the side of the counter, bored and yawning, while Wendy tried to keep herself busy tiding up the merchandise around the shop. Starting to get real bored, the young woman started to talk.

"So, Mabel, have you decided the kind of sword you're gonna use?"

"No, Grunkle Stan told me I should first learn the basics of a lot of weapons before I could choose. He said it would keep me from getting used to only one kind of weapon." She answered behind the counter, resting her chin on her hands, elbows being supported by the wood.

"Oh, yeah, he did the same thing with me. But don't worry, I bet he won't make you wait two years until you can choose." Dipper said by her side, leaning on the counter so he could take the weight off his knee. Robbie already had commented on how they were acting so close with each other like lovey doves and it was driving him crazy. Dipper, however, just ignored him and got even closer to his girl.

"I hope so, but considering I'm delayed for around 10 years, if I wait two until I can choose, I'll be 18 instead of eight like Dipper was." She said in a joking tone, couldn't help but comparing.

"Don't worry, soon you'll see the saber is the best weapon." Robbie gloated, "The weapon of a true man."

"Thanks, Robbie, but… you know… I'm a girl." The princess replied with a raised eyebrow. Dipper did a face palm.

"He just meant that it is for the strong ones…" Wendy replied after a long and annoyed huff. "He's very sexist."

Dipper leaned closer to Mabel. "It's probably something to do with the fact that when we met, his hair was a bit long and his clothes were so bigger than him that mistook him for a poor girl. He was so mad that started to punch me. Dad had to separate us. From this day on, all I needed to do to piss him off was call him a girl."

Robbie huffed and crossed his arms. "Will you stop talking about me as if I'm not here?"

"Anyway… I still think a long sword is better. Why get a weapon that only has one side that cuts if you can have both sides?"

"Because you can fight using only one hand?" Robbie retorted very sarcastically.

"Okay, you two. I don't want to hear another argument on your weapons and skills." Deciding to stop the little discussion before it turned into a big fight, Wendy interrupted. "So, Dipper likes the long sword better, I don't see a problem in that. He fights well even if most pirates uses sabers. Can't you two just stop arguing about it? It's getting really annoying."

"Yes, ma'am…" Both guys replied at the same time.

The four of them stayed in a minute or two of silence. Dipper shifted trying to get confortable, happy to notice that he was feeling indeed a little better after all the rest, though his knee still sting once in a while.

"Dip, you're staying on your feet all morning, isn't it better for you to sit a little?"

"Hey, I'm fine. I'm not that weak."

"I know, but I'm worried… You got hurt saving me…"

"Oh, please! Stop being so irritatingly cute! Go get a room. No, wait! On second thought, don't you dare do that…" The irritated man complained crossing his arms.

Both Dipper and Mabel got redder than usual and exchanged awkward looks. Wendy smiled noticing their reaction, but didn't say anything, yet.

"By the way… I was wondering, isn't it today?" Robbie thought out loud, the three friends just looked at him with a question mark expression, waiting for him to continue. "Yes, it is! Today is exactly one month since we kidnapped Mabel. Around this hour, one month ago, we were heading to Capitol Alyoth."

Dipper suddenly turned into more shades of red and his face was so hot it felt like it was on fire. He remembered what almost happened inside Mabel's temporary cabin at the ship, and the promise he made that he'd wait at least for the month to pass until they could do something _more_. Because once this month passed, she was pretty much inside the crew.

This time, Wendy couldn't stay quiet.

"Dipper, why are you so red? You were not planning on doing something with Mabel, were you?"

"N-no. Of course not!"

Robbie chose to ignore the very embarrassed boy, who was definitely lying and thinking about a lot of things. "Hey, since Mabel is staying, maybe we should celebrate with some sort of party."

"A party that's not for you? That's a change!" His girlfriend mocked ironically.

"Hey, I can think about something else but me! Besides, I'm not even complaining that we're not gonna get the ransom money anymore."

In that instant, the younger man suddenly glared at him imaginary deadly daggers. Mabel's face fell and as if she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders, the guilt eating her up, after all, she never wanted to be a burden to anyone. She bit her lower lip and looked away, trying not to look so sad. It didn't work, though.

"See what you just did? You stupid!" scolded Wendy.

"Just forget it, guys. But really, I was wondering, how are you going to do? You need money and soon… Yet, I still can't go on a raid and you can't leave me alone for now because of Blind Ivan's crew…"

"Don't worry, Mabel. We'll find a way. I was talking with my dad and we're probably going the four of us and maybe Soos as well to a shack my grandfather had in the middle of the woods. Almost no one knows about this place, so we'll be safe there while my dad and the crew can go for a raid. We're just considering everything up before acting. We need to be sure because we can't risk your safety again."

"Yes, but is it always going to be like that? I don't want to pull anyone down."

"You're not doing it, Mabel." His comeback was immediate.

"Dipper's right. This is our choice. Besides, maybe in a few months, Blind Ivan's crew will give up. And in a few years, you'll get better in fighting to defend yourself even from someone like them. We all care about you and we'll be careful just like we would if anyone else from the crew was in a similar danger."

"Thanks, guys." The princess said, happy and a little blushed. It was overwhelming to feel how much those people cared for her in just a month she met them. Especially after discovering her aunt Northwest planned to get rid of her all along.

"Don't mention it, gal. We like you. And hey, there's people walking our direction, maybe finally some customers to take us from this boredom." Wendy quickly noticed three men on the other side of the window.

Mabel followed the red haired sight and looked through the glass, only to feel the need to gasp, so surprised she was. She couldn't think, she could just act. Her instincts told her to hide, and so she did. The girl immediately ducked behind the counter, back touching the wood and curling like a ball.

Dipper saw her unexpected reaction and raised an eyebrow, following her with the eyes all the way down. At first he wondered if this was some sort of game, because she was Mabel, after all and therefore, a bit crazy. His smile fell when their eyes met and he saw the fear in her bright big chestnut orbs.

"Shh! Don't-" She started but the bell ring over the entrance door shut her up immediately. The bell was usually really annoying for everyone, but Stan wouldn't take it off because he could fall asleep in his chair behind the counter and wake up whenever someone entered. Mabel covered her mouth to prevent any sound from accidentally escaping.

That moment Dipper saw the girl he loved so scared, he knew something was wrong, very wrong. And then he knew, he just knew, that the reason she was running away from the castle was about to find her. He raised his eyes from her on the floor and looked at the three men. Dipper got the impression that he saw two of them before, though he couldn't remember when or where.

The guy in the middle, however, he was sure that he never saw him before. He seemed to be the leader of the small group, being followed around by the two behind him. Reddish skin and pale blond hair almost white, the boy still looked like he couldn't be older than Dipper. In fact, the pirate guessed he was about 15. His intense blue eyes were flashy, but there was something nasty in them that made Dipper dislike him right away.

Wendy and Robbie just exchanged confused looks, both wouldn't say anything, they might not have a clue on what was going on, but they were sure something was wrong about those weird costumers. The older one leaned to speak something in the ear of the little one, who just nodded.

"My friend told me your… sister looks like someone I'm looking for. Could I take a look at her?"

As the little one spoke with his irritating accent, Dipper could feel Mabel leaning closer as silently as she could, as if a desperate and silent cry for help. The pirate gulped, resisting the urge to knee down and embrace his girl, reassuring her that everything would be all right.

"Excuse me, I don't think you got the right people…" Wendy started but was rudely interrupted by the little looking young man, wearing a very fancy set of clothes and expensive rings on some fingers.

"I was not talking to you, red. And don't think someone like you can address me so informally. I am sir, mister, or anything you might think it's enough and much more, so just shut up until I ask something of you."

Wendy crossed her arms and frowned, if it was a normal situation, she would have punched him already, however, the mood was so eerie that she just couldn't react. Robbie, on the other hand, has a very shorter temper and attempted to jump off the counter to interfere, luckily, Dipper was faster than him, stopping by putting a hand on his shoulder.

Then, Dipper suddenly remembered who the two men behind the kid were. They were the two guys at the market, which Mabel tried to get away from by calling him brother. He mentally slapped himself for taking her worries for granted.

"What about my sister?" Dipper played along, surprising Wendy and Robbie who just looked at the other without knowing what to say or think. Even Mabel looked up, surprised. She knew he hated to mention their actual sibling relation so hear him speaking like that so naturally was a bit thunderstruck.

"I want to look at her." He repeated impatiently.

"Sorry, sir, but she's not here. She went out with our father." He didn't hesitate or stuttered, and that made it quite believable.

"Really?" The little man's voice was still suspicious.

"Yes. Maybe you should come other day. She usually doesn't stay here, anyway."

"Is that so? Why not? Does she have to work somewhere else?" And then, Dipper felt a shiver run down his spine. This irritating little guy was smarter than he looked and was just testing him.

"She just has a lot of friends to help once in a while. Maybe next week she'll be helping me at the shop."

"Sure… Just out of curiosity, how old is she?"

Dipper gulped, he knew he was being tested, he couldn't hesitate and he knew that any twist or detail would be noticed. Therefore, he decided to lie the minimum he could, after all, he knew he wasn't that good in lying anyway. "She's 16, like me. We're twins." Seeming not so convinced, Dipper elaborated a bit more. "Yeah, unusual, I know. She looks so much like me people keep joking she's my female version and stuff like that. Right, guys?"

Even though surprised, Wendy and Robbie managed to silently agree with nods. Dipper only paid attention to that irritating man. His shallow light blue eyes tweaked in confusion for a second or two and then he sighed, finally looking convinced.

"Okay, then. Let's go guys. We have things to do."

The three pirates sighed heavily the minute the door closed after the three supposedly customers. After a moment of silence, impressed, Wendy turned to face Dipper.

"Man, that was awesome. I've never seen you lying so well like that."

The young pirate, however, didn't answer or said anything. He just took a few breaths to call down and supported his weight on the counter so he could kneel down next to the girl hidden behind it. Mabel was still covering her mouth and seemed about to sob; looking at her so vulnerable again was heart breaking.

"Who is he?" The princess looked inside his deep, serious and concerned chestnut eyes so similar to hers. Though the eye contact only lasted a few seconds before she looked down.

"He's... Prince Gideon."

"Wow, he's a prince? No wonder he was so smug!" Wendy complained in the background, slowly walking closer and hearing their conversation. Dipper, on the other hand, seemed to lose all the color in his face as he realized just who that little man really is.

"Wait a minute… Isn't he… He's your stupid fiancé, isn't he?" Mabel nodded.

"What? Come on! He's so weirdly scary! You can't marry him!" Complained the pirate girl.

"It's not like I have a choice." She replied. "I never had a say in it… Now you know why I can't go back."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"You couldn't have done anything. Besides, I'm a princess, Dipper. I don't want and I don't need anyone's pity while there's people starving to death around the kingdom just because I got a lousy fiancé."

"But you… You lied to me, that time you said it would be okay to go back, that you might even fall in love for him when we discovered we're…" His heart was squeezed inside his chest as he remembered the only time she said she would go back was when they discovered they're related.

"I know, but what else could I've said back then?"

"Look, I'm not gonna let him find you, okay? You're not going back."

"Oh, Dip!" Mabel said before she quickly hugged him so sudden and tightly that he almost lost balance. "I'm scared." Once again, Dipper felt as if he couldn't do anything to keep her safe and sound.

"Don't worry. I'll fix it. I'll tell my dad we need to go. But in the meantime, I think you need to hide yourself. Go inside and don't get out until we know that freak is outta town."

"Yeah, and you know what, I think it's time for me and Robbie go get food at Melody's, since she was too busy to cook for us here. Why don't you go inside and set the table for us?" Wendy suggested trying to be friendly and understandable.

The princess nodded and got up quickly entering inside the house through the door behind the counter. Even so, she could still hear Robbie's concerned voice saying the ship probably would not be ready in less than three days. It needed a few repairs from the fight with Blind Ivan's crew, though nothing serious happened. Besides, they were almost out of money to get enough supplies to spend days in open sea.

Mabel sighed sadly and she felt as if her heart was being squeezed inside her chest. With her eyes getting a bit wet, she decided to get busy so she could take her mind off that. She headed to the kitchen's cupboard and got some plates out of there. She held them on her trembling hands and put them all on the table so she could start distributing it. However, before she could start, she froze as she heard a very familiar and eerie voice behind her, coming from the window.

"I knew it was you all along. I saw you through the glass before I entered that filthy shop. Though I must admit I almost believed that boy, he was really good covering for you. And I can't say that to a lot of people. It almost makes me wonder if he has feelings for you…"

His voice trailed off and Mabel turned to look in the very nasty blue eyes of Prince Gideon.

"It doesn't matter. Playtime is over. Or should I say work time? Seriously, they're making you set the table. How ridiculous is that?" He mocked, pushing the hood away from his face, he probably threw a that cape as soon as he could so he could hide himself, "Anyway, I'll understand that by the way you hid you don't really want to come and marry me, isn't it?"

Mabel didn't answer; she just kept silent and breathing heavily and looking from side to side.

"Well, as you know, I don't care if you want it or not. I need your hand in marriage, so you are marrying me. We talked about it and I hate to repeat myself. But, just to show you I'm a wonderful future husband, I'm going to give you a choice. Or, you should I say a proposal? Whatever."

"A proposal? What kind of proposal?" She didn't mean to, but when she caught herself, she was already speaking.

"Your kidnappers left a note saying they'd only return you after a month, since today is exactly the 30th from your kidnapping, I'll give you today so you can enjoy your stupid freedom, which, by the way, I don't care in what you did during this period. I won't even fuss about details, such as if you're still a maiden or not. I just want your pretty hand and a healthy heir."

"What if I don't go with you?" She dared.

"Well, then, you know what's going to happen. I'll be forced to engage in war with your country and you know it. After all, it is a very bad attitude to turn your back on someone who's not only saving you from filthy pirates but also would be treason since your daddy promised our union."

He paused, looking at her with attention. Mabel just let her eyes fall, so sad she was.

"But I'll give you this choice. I won't drag you away from here by force, oh no. You have until the dawn of the day after tomorrow to meet me. I'll be in a very big ship with a serpent on its sail. There's a small one too, but this one is staying, just to prove that I'm a very benevolent man, I'm leaving the small ship with treasures inside worthy of a princess ransom for your kidnapper pirates. So… which are you going to chose? Oh, the suspense is killing me…" His joking tone was so irritating; he knew very well she was not going to condemn her people and kingdom for her to be free.

And his stupid proposal just made everything even worse. Now, she could choose, yet, she didn't have a choice. She might be often silly, but she wasn't stupid, she knew what war meant, and it was not pretty. As a princess she studied a lot about history and she knew that hundreds, maybe thousands of people would die in a war and it would be her fault.

Plus, Gideon will be considered as the good guys of the story, he'd probably pretend to pay her ransom and personally come to her rescue. In the meantime, the people who really cared and loved her would be seen as the villains.

"See you in two days, my queen." He teased before leaving.

Mabel suddenly felt as if she lost the ground beneath her as her knees failed and she fell, shoving one of the chairs to the side in the process.

On the other side of the room, behind the door, Grunkle Stan sighed sadly and feeling defeated. He wish he could do something to help his supposedly grandniece, but there was nothing he could do. So he just walked to the shop and told Dipper to go inside, knowing that the very least he could do was let them both stay together for the time they still have.

As Dipper found his way to the kitchen, he gasped at the sight of her on the floor. Gulping, the boy approached her; still reassuring the girl everything would be fine, oblivious to the fact that Gideon had already found her. While he forced himself to kneel down to hug her, the only thing that kept worrying her mind was the consummation. Suddenly, she could understand her mother very well in opting the man she loved to be her first. And then, she knew she was going to make the same kind of choice.

* * *

 **I'm very thankful for all the reviews, and I'll only know if the chap was good or not if you review, so please leave me a comment, it's really important to me! :D**

 **Itban Fuyu**


	28. 27 - A Night to Remember

**Hey! The new chap has finally arrived! :D**

 **And, as usual, first I'm gonna answer the Guest review:**

 **You're welcome! It's actually a pleasure for me to answer reviews, long or short! I love it! And yeah, I'm happy that you liked it so and that you felt like that when you read it! I was hoping to be able to make people feel this way! And you're seeing what she will do in this chap! I hope you'll like it, too! So... about your question, well, I can't say much because of spoilers, but since I love them and since you've been reviewing so often, I think you deserve to know... And the answer I can give you is not exactly. Well, it is a classic and it served as inspiration, but that's it. In fact, I'm starting to rewrite it as an original story and there's going to be past lives involved and the past life is much similar/inspired to said classic than this story... Sorry if I talk too much, I just get carried away, sometimes... And sorry that I can't answer more than that on your question...**

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 **Chapter 27**

 **A Night to Remember**

Lunchtime was fairly quiet. Mabel tried to kid and joke around as usual, though the mood was still heavy. Getting some grapes for dessert, she threw one at Robbie when he asked for it, and she silly laughed when he tried to get it and almost fell down, then, she put them on her ears pretending they were earrings, making them all laugh. But Dipper noticed her face falling when she thought no one was looking.

The afternoon passed slowly. Grunkle Stan spent the usual hour after lunch training Mabel and then she decided to risk it and stay with Robbie, Wendy and Dipper at the shop. She liked it and she wanted to spend her last days of freedom with them there.

Dinner wasn't so quiet, but after they told Roderick and Soos the news, the mood got even heavier. Therefore, Dipper signalized Robbie to leave the kitchen after it. He got the message and left taking Wendy with him and leaving their dirty dishes behind. Grunkle Stan also understood it got out of his chair, saying he needed to take care of some things. Roderick decided to follow Stan and suggested Soos to take Melody home, since the chubby man was too oblivious to notice the hints.

Now, both alone, Dipper leaned closer to Mabel with concerned eyes, putting his arm on the chair behind her.

"Mabel, what did he do to you? You can tell me."

"Not now, Dip... I have to wash these dishes..." She distracted herself by reaching for the plates on the table. He groaned both impatient and annoyed, he sighed heavily to calm down, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh, Mabel! Come on! There's no need to hide anymore. I'm worried because I love you. I just need to know what he did. Why are you running away from him?"

"I can assure you it was not as bad as being kidnapped by Blind Ivan."

He frowned and raised an eyebrow. "You can trust me, you know…"

"I do trust you, Dip."

"Then it's about time you tell me what's really going on in the palace."

"But it's really stupid and insignificant…"

"Mabel, when are you going to learn?" He asked impatient. "If it's important to you, if it matters to you, then it matters to me." She blinked, wondering how he could be so rude and romantic at the same time.

"Okay, fine. I'll tell you everything. I just need to wash it all first. And don't you dare come and help me, you need to sit for a while and relax. Remember what Soos said about your knee and even so you spent the whole day working."

He rolled his eyes but agreed anyway, staying on the chair for as long as she silently washed the dishes. She left them on the cupboard to dry and suggested they'd go to a more private place, like her temporary room. He nodded and went after her; he already could walk without help, though still really slow.

By the time they reached Dipper's old room, it was already late at night, Soos went out to take Melody home; Wendy left to her house and see her father and brothers; Robbie was preparing his mattress in the living room so he could rest; and Roderick and Stan decided to drink some rum in the kitchen.

Dipper sat on his bed and looked at her expectant. The girl only closed the door slowly and lighted up the lamp on the table, since the light from the window was not enough anymore. Even so, the room was sill quite dark.

After that, she sat by his side. Being a princess, she had never been used to stay so close to a boy, let alone sit on his bed, alone in his room. However, she wasn't taken aback or troubled with it, she trusted him completely and was already getting used in staying this close to him.

"Okay, so… Where do I start?"

"From the beginning? I don't know, maybe the first time you met that ridiculously dandy prince."

Mabel agreed and didn't even need to stop for a long while so she could put everything in place She could never forget what happened, though she just stopped long enough to put her thoughts in order. And so, she started.

 _The first time I saw Gideon was from afar. Candy and Grenda found out he came to the palace to meet me and they jumped around with me, so eager we were to see my future husband. So we sprinted to the Great Hall, where my father was talking to him and his parents. Until then, I only heard good things about him and so I had a good impression of him. Doesn't mean I wanted to marry him at the time, but I thought he was a good suitor, at least._

 _Later that day, I was formally introduced to him. Indeed, he seemed like a decent person with a prideful and overly good smile on his face. I don't know how, but I could see something rotten just beneath the surface. He was not what he seemed and that benevolent smile was nothing but a façade._

 _I tried talking with my father about it. Try to make him change his mind, show him I didn't want this union… He didn't listen to me. He only thought it was some sort of trick so I could run away._

 _The truth is that I never liked to stay in the palace. Sure, I liked the shininess and elegance of everything, I liked the dresses and all, but I never liked that I couldn't do what I wanted with my dresses. I never liked that I couldn't chose the things I wanted to do or the time, I never had the freedom to do so. I never liked that people looked at me as if I was a freak just because I was being myself and joking around, like I was never good enough for them. I never liked that they tried to control me all the time. I couldn't choose the shoes I'd use, or the dresses I'd wear and I could never be messy, or do weird things. Pretty much the only thing I could choose was my hairdo if it was tidy enough for my father's standards. I hated it. I tried to run away multiple times because I just couldn't stand it anymore._

 _Though I couldn't escape now, since my father had just sold my horse. Since I didn't know about the hidden passages back then, so I thought the only chance I had was sneaking out riding a horse._

 _Our union was settled and that night, there was going to be a great ball to announce the future wedding._

 _I didn't want to go, but since I had no choice, I was trying to at least accept it and give it a shot. Who knows, he might surprise me and turn out to be a good man, like I thought at first. Indeed, he surprised me, but not in a good way._

 _As I was getting ready for yet another boring ball there I'd have to dance all night with my fiancé and end up with blisters on my feet while faking smiles to people that couldn't care less, he came to see me. I was stalling, but I was almost ready, only one final touch to complete it; I put my favorite necklace, the one that belonged to my mom when the door opened. First I though it could be Candy, Grenda or even aunt Mary to hurry me up. I was surprised to see Gideon barging in instead._

 _I frowned irritated and quickly stood up from the dressing table to face him._ _"You shouldn't enter in my room without even being polite enough to knock. I'm alone in here, it's not going to look decent if people knew you're here."_

 _And then, he suddenly took the good boy mask he had on and just showed his true manipulative nature in a very unexpected way._

" _Well, I don't care, you're soon going to be my wife so I shall do as I please. Besides, I'm going to be the king of both realms and everyone in both kingdoms shall please me. Including and especially you."_

" _I'm ready and I'm going down now. Would you escort me?" He didn't seem to notice the sarcasm hidden beneath my voice._

" _No, you're not. I came to give you a present for our engagement."_

" _I don't need it." I replied stubbornly._

" _I didn't ask you if you want it or not. I'm going to give it to you and you'll accept. Do you understand?"_

" _Fine, just give it already." I crossed my arms again, rolling my eyes. I could see him raising an eyebrow with an ironic smile._

" _No. First, tie your pretty little hair up."_

" _What? Why?"_

" _Because I told you so."_

" _But I like it down."_ _I said matter-of-factly, back then, my hair was completely down with only a crown to ornament it._

" _I didn't ask you how do you like it, I told you how I want it. Now come." He roughly grabbed me by the arm definitely and dragged me to the dressing table and made me sit on the chair in front of it. I told him he was hurting me, but he didn't listen or cared._

 _Once I was sat, he reached for my pendant and took it off, throwing it on the floor without so much as a second thought. He opened the box he was caring and showed me what was inside. It was a beautiful and big necklace, it was short, but it was all decorated, there was tiny diamonds all over it and it has probably been extremely expensive._

" _For you. You're my fiancée now and shall use proper jewelry, or else people are going to think I can't pay you them. Do you understand?"_

" _Yes." The answer came almost as a spit._

" _Yes, what?"_

" _Yes, my Lord."_

" _You know the right way would be 'Your Royal Highness', but I liked the way the words sounded from your pretty mouth, so it's okay."_

 _Gideon then grabbed the necklace and put it on my neck as I stood still, looking at my reflection in the mirror._

" _There. I knew it'd be beautiful on you."_

" _Yes, my Lord." I repeated trying not to sound as annoyed and ironic as I wanted._

" _Now, all you have to do is tie up this pretty little hair of yours." He said caressing my hair; I didn't expect him to suddenly grip it tight around his white fingers, almost as if he'd push my hair away. I widened my eyes in surprise. "And do it quickly, I want you downstairs in five minutes."_

 _Gideon released my hair and walked away as if nothing had happened. I was so shocked looking at the reflection of him closing the door that it took me a while to move. The first thing I did was getting my favorite necklace on the floor and gently placing it over the dressing table. Then, I slowly took the crown off my head and got my hairbrush so I could comb the now messy hair from the grip._

 _I've never wanted so badly to be able to run away._

 _Even so, I was still very stubborn; I put my hair up, but not entirely. Gideon was definitely not the boss of me and I'd prove it. I put back the crown and started pulling the front of my hair in a half ponytail, but instead of letting it lose, I did a small bun. There it was, half up and half down._

 _Then I slowly stood up and started walking towards the great hall where the ball was happening. I didn't bother to hurry because I didn't care if he'd complain. I told myself all the way down that I was not going to let him boss me._

 _I could tell he didn't like what he saw the minute he laid his eyes on me. His façade fell for a second or two as he watched me approaching. He excused himself with the people he was talking to and marched towards m, discretely grabbing my arm once again with an iron tight grip._

" _I distinctly remember ordering you to put that hair up."_

" _It is, are you blind or something?" he certainly didn't like my comeback and kept pushing me away. Since anyone noticed my entrance and he managed to be very discreet, no one saw us leaving and in no time, we were alone on the corridors of the castle. Gideon looked around just to guarantee there was no one in eye or ear shot before he roughly toss my back against the wall. "Ouch! Watch it!" I yelped holding the back of my head that ached from the impact._

" _You shut up and listen to me. I'm the future king and my commands are unquestionable. Soon you'll be part of what I own and I will not tolerate disobedience." I gulped but frowned anyway._

" _I am not an object for you to possess!" I said defiantly, which only made him angrier. Even so, I didn't expect the quick slap on my face. It wasn't strong or hurtful; I barely felt it. But it was a warning._

" _I don't care if you obey willingly or unwillingly but you will comply. Now go back to your room and put all of your hair in a stupid bun and come back down quickly or I'll make your life a living hell, understood?" It was never about the hairdo, it was a test; he wanted to make me obey him quietly._

 _I was so surprised I could barely speak, but I gulped with fear and surprise and managed to say "I'll tell my father about it!"_

 _He laughed mockingly._

" _Do you really think he'll believe you? Think about it, I'm the goody two shoes of a prince who visit orphans and care about the ill. An entire kingdom almost twice the size of yours already adores me. Everyone thinks I'm pure and innocent, how can they trust a spoiled little princess that tries to run away all the time? You'll be viewed as the villain in this story, not me."_

 _I wanted to say something. I wanted to say that he was wrong, that my father would believe me. But I couldn't, because I knew it'd be a lie. My father is not a monster, but he wasn't close to me. All he'd think if I told him what Prince Gideon was really like would be that it was some kind of plan to stall or cancel the wedding so I could try to escape again. He wouldn't believe me._

 _Soon I felt my eyes getting wet and he raised his hand to wipe the silent tears; I almost jumped in surprise when he did that. I knew he wasn't trying to be a gentleman; he was only mocking me with a sarcastic smile on his lips._

" _See? You know I am right. Now go. I want you back in five minutes."_

 _Gideon backed away and went back to the ball, leaving me alone. I breathed heavily for a few moments to pull myself together before I headed to my room once again. Wishing now more than ever for a miracle to take me out of there._

 _That's when a gentle chestnut haired pirate appeared in my life._

Mabel told everything and now she was wiping her wet cheeks with her hands. Dipper just stared at her, unable to interrupt her. Both felt more intimate and honest with each other now that they didn't have something between them.

"You were my miracle, Dip. You showed up when I needed the most." She sniffed, glad that the room was still dark so he probably couldn't see her crying face so clearly. "And geez, it's so annoying that I just can't seem to stop crying these days… And I hate crying…"

"It's okay if you have a good reason to; which you do. But you don't have go through that ever again. I won't let it happen. He's not taking you away." Being the logical guy, he reasoned full of empathy, wishing he could punch Gideon next time he ever lay eyes on him for daring to hit and threaten her.

"I know you'd never let him take me." She whispered right before he leaned to give her a quick kiss. As he separated, the boy gently touched her cheeks, trying to dry them with his thumbs.

"I'll make you forget him. I'll make you forget every bad thing that ever happened to you. It will be as never happened."

"I like the sound of that."

She managed to chuckle just a little bit before he leaned again, slowly taking her hair away from her face. Dipper was determined to make the usual crazy Mabel happiness come back to her, so the smile could be a constant expression once again in her feature.

Then, she felt his hand slowly making its way to the back of her neck, his head automatically tilting to the side as he got even closer one more time. Both closed their eyes just before they touched the other's lips. He gave her one gentle kiss before he parted enough just to turn his lips to her cheek and later her forehead, smoothly kissing her face, showing Mabel how much he cared for her. With his eyes closed, he didn't see the girl's lips turning into a smile, but he felt it once his lips met hers once again.

The kiss started soft, at first, he was letting her lead so she could chose what she wanted; after everything, she could want deep kisses or just a shoulder to cry on, and he decided to be all she needed. He was happy to notice Mabel reaching the back of his neck and deepening the kiss as she opened her mouth against his. She could barely believe how good she felt now, and it was him that made her so overwhelmingly joyful.

Since both were sitting next to the other, so their knees started to rub the other, wanting her closer, his left hand moved to her right knee without he even realizing it. When he did notice, he had already decided to take this kissing session to a whole knew level.

Dipper shifted to a better position and overwhelmed her by exploring her mouth with his tongue. She didn't stay behind and quickly did the same. He let it for some long moments until he had the brilliant idea of doing something different. Gathering up enough courage, the dashing pirate left her lips to go down just a little, aiming for her neck. The smell of her hair was intoxicating and he just couldn't get enough. The bold attitude of his took her by surprise, though not in a bad way, as she moaned pushing him towards her.

Then, it was his time to be taken by surprise the moment he felt Mabel slowly leaning on the bed and holding him close with her hands on the back of his shoulders. Mabel felt her heart beating faster and faster inside her chest as she notice his hand going all the way up from her knee to her face and then moving back down, landing on her waist.

Changing his attention from the neck back to her sweet moist lips, once again he shifted and was almost on top of her. Mabel's hands kept on his back pressing him against her. She could feel all his love towards her in that moment. His kisses; every movement he made came with a passion he didn't know he was capable of.

And that was when he noticed they were going too far. His body was already ready to continue and if he didn't stop now, he probably wouldn't be able to do it anymore. Gasping for air, he quickly let go of her body as if he had just burned himself; standing up so fast, he almost lost balance.

"I-I… I think I should go now…" He gulped and panted, feeling as if his heart was in his throat. Dipper made his way to leave, but he stopped the moment his hand touched the doorknob hearing her sweet pleading voice behind him.

"What? No. Dip, wait!" She swiftly stood up, watching him take deep breaths, not daring to turn and look at her. "Please don't go."

"Mabel…" He whined, his voice clearly alternated from the panting, his mind was clouded and he was feeling a bit dizzy due to the strong emotions. "You just don't get it… I'm reaching a no return point around here. And I don't want to do it with you just because you're feeling down like I'm taking advantage of you."

"Who said I want it just because of that? I want it because I want you, Dip. I love you." The girl admitted stepping further, stopping only to embrace him from behind.

"I love you too, Mabel. And believe me, I want it very, very badly. But this is a huge step; I just can't take you beyond it without knowing you're sure about it. I'd never forgive me if you regret it by the morning…"

"I'd never regret it, Dip. This is my choice. You are my choice. We almost went that far before and we both agreed to wait until the month passed, and now it has. Besides, almost being raped by Blind Ivan made me realize that I don't want anyone else to touch me first but you."

With her mind settled, she got on her tiptoes so she could kiss his neck passionately. He let out a low moan feeling her fresh breath and sweet moist lips on his skin.

"Stop playing with me, Mabel. I really don't think I'll be able to stop if we go any further." He gulped. It was only some sort of threat, it wasn't as if he'd force her to do anything if she changed her mind midway, but she needed to know it would be really hard on him and he'd really need a cold bath.

Besides, someone needed to be the reasonable one, she was clearly out of her mind and she was almost raped a few days ago, for crying out loud! She could not be serious! Could she?

"If you haven't noticed, that's what I'm trying to do. I don't want you to stop."

And with that, his overly logical and analytical mind finally snapped, feeling his blood just rush down right beneath his navel. The walls he was keeping up so hard broke down as he just let his crave for her guide his actions. The last trace of reasoning was when he locked the door before turning to face her.

Mabel didn't expect him to hug her waist with so much hunger, embracing her with all the passion he was desperately trying to contain but couldn't hold back anymore. Soon, both felt the urge to get rid of the clothes between them. Her hand reached the strings of her bodice, opening it. He didn't waist any second to start helping her with the task.

As she finally got free from the bodice now on the floor, she worked in taking his peasant vest and then his belt. They could barely stop kissing each other; the only time they separated was only long enough to take their clothes off. And while they were doing it, they made their way back to the bed.

Sitting again, the two lovers took out their boots as fast as they could. Panting, they looked at each other for a moment, reading their body languages. _Am I really gonna do this? Oh God, yes. I'm really gonna do this!_ She wondered to herself before her lips turn into a smile. He considered it an invitation and just leaned forward, looking at her wonderful chestnut orbs before they both close their eyes to kiss.

They let their tongues play for a while before the lust once again take over their bodies. Mabel reached the end of his shirt and pulled it all the way down, admiring the view for a second or two before he did the same on her.

Dipper lost himself once again kissing her, letting his hands work on its own as he helped her take out her skirt right after he tossed his pants on the floor. Still kissing, both leaned to lie on the bed. Their hearts seemed to beat as one as their bodies connected in a perfect fit. This shall be a night never to leave their minds.

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 **And, here it is. I bet some people were waiting for this to happen, but, sorry, this is still rated T and I can't really show anymore than that... But I hope you guys liked it, nonetheless.**

 **Please don't forget to review! And later, you can check my DA page to look at the drawing of Mabel dressed as a pirate! :D**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	29. 28 - Farewell

**Hi, guys!**

 **as always, here is my answer to the Guest Reviewer:**

 **Thanks! It's great to know you like to read them, 'cause I like to write them! And I'm glad it started to make sense now! And that Gideon actually looks more evil, I was afraid he was just stupid. And yeah! They finally did it! I bet a lot of people were waiting for it for a while... Anyway, that's Dipper! He just couldn't forget to lock it, right? He couldn't let the chance to someone ruin that very special moment and sorta of get killed by Roderick, lol. Anyway, I hope you like the new chap! :D**

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 **Chapter 28**

 **Farewell**

Mabel slowly woke from her slumber. The room wasn't dark anymore, the sunlight entered through the cracks of the wooden shutter and they forgot to cover it with the curtains. However, it wasn't too irritatingly bright either.

Then, she realized there was nothing but the blanket covering her body. Well, the blanket and a male arm coming from behind her. She smiled remembering everything that happened in the previous night, she also noticed the source of warmth on her back she knew it came from Dipper's body.

She wouldn't mind waking up like that every day. And that was when she remembered she was leaving that night. Mabel didn't cry, though. Right now, she didn't have a reason to. Instead, she just reached his hand, caressing him slowly so he wouldn't wake. Dipper moaned waking the moment he felt her touch, closing his left hand on hers before pulling her closer against his bare chest.

"Morning." He whispered still sleepy but immensely happy, his smile couldn't leave his face.

"Good morning." She answered giggling after a quick kiss on her earlobe.

The bed was only a single bed, so there wasn't a lot of space, but even so, Mabel managed to turn. Now lying on the other side, she could face him. He kept her close, pulling her in by the waist. He smoothly kissed her forehead before touching her lips with his.

Slowly, she raised her hand to brush his messy locks from his face and forehead, once again revealing the big dipper birthmark. Usually, he's always embarrassed when people see it since people started mocking him when he was just a kid. Mabel, however, was a different story, she actually liked it. She brushed her thumb on his birthmark; she couldn't help but think he's so unique, not knowing he thought the same towards her.

Dipper shifted to get confortable and pulled the blanket to cover them more, after all, there was nothing else to shelter their bare skin from the weather of the north, even if his room wasn't too cold. After that, he let his hand run freely on the soft skin of her back.

"So… How are you feeling?"

"If you're afraid I might have regretted it, the answer is no. I'm fine." She answered, "How about you? Is your knee still hurting?"

"Nah, it will get better."

"Yes, but Soos said it's still gonna take a while for you to heal completely, so you have to be careful, okay?"

"Sure. I will."

"De-doop." She played poking his cheek, smiling like a lunatic, and maybe she was. He rolled his eyes, already used to her unique weirdness.

"Geez, it must be late already… We need to go."

"No… not now, it's too soon. It's so good in here. By the way, what time is it?" Mabel wondered.

"I don't know. I could check my pocket watch, though. The problem is that is inside the pockets of my pants, which is somewhere on the floor."

"Don't you dare move now." Mabel demanded, removing her hand that was running freely on his bare chest to hold his torso, he couldn't help but smile even wider. "I want to stay like that at least for a little while."

"Okay. You know what? I could stay here all day too, but I'm starving; I don't think I can stay for too long."

The girl then shut her eyes closed smiling and biting her lower lip.

"Mabel, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to remember everything. Every little detail."

"You know, we could make this a recurrent thing…"

"Oh, Dip, it's never going to be the same. Besides, the first night is more important." She opened her eyes and shifted to get partly on top of him, making Dipper lay with his stomach up and have her on his chest. "Which makes me wonder… How many girls you had before me tonight."

"Oh, come on, it's not a suited subject for this morning…" Embarrassed, he looked to the sides feeling his cheeks got hotter.

Yet, he couldn't help but noticed how beautiful she was with her natural blushed cheeks, her slightly messy hair was splattered over her and falling on him. Her dazzling orbs looked at his full of love and admiration. It was inevitable not to reach and try to brush her chestnut locks with his clumsy hand, Dipper just felt the need to touch her.

"You can tell me, I promise I won't get mad or jealous. I just want you to be honest. I know as a pirate you're probably did this a lot of times before, especially because of your wonderful performance."

"Stop saying it like that so easily."

She giggled at how embarrassed he looked.

"Jut answer at once."

"Okay… The number is zero. Happy now?"

Mabel looked to the sides, raised an eyebrow and even tilted her head slightly to the side. He could also see her eyes narrowing just a little.

"Say what?"

"You heard me. I'm not repeating."

"But… really? Zero?"

"Yes, I know, it's ridiculous. Could you please stop repeating it?" Shamefully, he rested his left hand on his eyes as if he could hide his embarrassment with the gesture.

"It's not ridiculous. And it's not something supposed to be planned, because there isn't a rule about it. I just thought you did it because, well, you are a pirate after all and I know what pirates use to do when on shores. Besides, you seemed to know what you were doing last night."

"That's because… No forget it…"

"Because of what?"

He sighed heavily rolling his eyes.

"Fine, I'll tell you. I wouldn't be able to hide it from you anyway… When I turned 15, my dad paid me one night with a... professional woman. She was very beautiful and all and I wanted to do it, but it was so weird that I just couldn't go all the way. We ended up playing cards all night and she gave me a few tips on how to please a girl… Geez, it's just so ridiculous, I'm such a prude…"

"No, it's not ridiculous. It is just part of your personality. Which I love anyway. Besides, knowing your number was also zero just made me admire you even more." And so she just leaned to kiss him yet again.

* * *

Roderick wasn't stupid. He might have been in the kitchen with Stan, drinking rum, but he noticed something was going on, especially after his son spend so long in his former room with Mabel and not even showing up to go to the room he was sharing with his son. In fact, the over protective father almost went to intervene, but Stan's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Chill, Roderick. You know they love each other and they're old enough to even marry if they want to." The old man reasoned. It was hard for him, but the captain left them alone anyway, drinking a lot before he could finally go to bed.

Morning was a little harder for the captain to take in, though. He still hoped to see his son on the mattress at the corner of the room or at least in the kitchen. However, Dipper wasn't anywhere to be seen, which only meant he was in his former room, with Mabel. Roderick's suspicions only got confirmed the moment he saw his son sauntering to the kitchen. That is, sauntering as best as he could with his injured knee.

"Good morning everyone! It's a great day, isn't it?" Dipper said sitting at the table to eat something, he was starving.

"Morning? Kid, it's almost 10 o'clock, you should be saying good afternoon." Stan commented with a slightly mocking tone hidden in his voice.

"Is it really that late? I haven't noticed…" The boy mumbled, usually, he was supposed to be at the shop around seven, waking up between 6:00 or 6:30. Dipper gulped as he realized he was almost 4 hours late, but he wouldn't have change anything. "Sorry, Grunkle Stan. I promise I'll work a lot to compensate."

"It's okay, kid. We all wake up late once in a while…" The old man's suggestive tone indicated he knew exactly what had stalled his grandnephew from getting out of the bed. "By the way, where's Mabel?"

"She's getting dressed." With very red cheeks yet a still big smile on his face, the young pirate just lowered his head, reaching for the bread and some cheese at the table.

Suddenly, Robbie appeared at the door.

"Geez, finally you're awake, I thought you were sick or something. What took you so long to get your butt outta bed? And why are you smiling so much? It's irritating."

"Oh, just keep quiet and go to work, Robbie. Especially now that Wendy is not around." Stan commanded while Roderick just hid his face on his hands. "You just love to interfere in other people's business."

"Aye, aye…" The 19-year-old man replied coming back to where he came from, just as Mabel got to the first floor of the house and entered the kitchen.

"Where's Wendy?"

"She's out with Soos, they're scouting the area for your protection. I asked her to go since I wanted to be around today, especially what I heard that happened yesterday with the prince…" Roderick answered.

"Thanks for your concern, but I don't think he'll come back anymore so soon. Dipper was quite believable. But we'll be careful anyway."

"So I've heard. I just want to make sure you're safe. By the way, why don't you sit with us and eat? You're probably hungry."

"I am. Grunkle Stan do you have some eggs? I'd like some boiled ones with some cheese and bread."

"Sure." He answered.

After breakfast, Dipper went to the shop with Robbie while Stan decided to continue Mabel's self defense classes, and Roderick went as well not only to observe but also to give her advices.

The three of them trained until lunchtime, though with pauses so they all could rest, especially Mabel that was still not used to an intense training, which only made her sad.

She tried to hide it and managed to do it pretty well the whole day, no one noticed the small piece of sadness following her around all the time because she knew she'd not get the chance to be used with the training. She wouldn't be able to keep seeing these people that she grown to like so much as a family and that cared for her like she had been a part of it all along. And that unfortunately made her very sorrowful, even if she did her best to enjoy every single part of it.

Dipper was obviously the one who almost noticed something was going on, he didn't know if it was a twin-thing or a lover-thing, but he just knew something was there. She denied, of course. Instead of insisting on the subject, he decided to just leave it alone, guessing that she was acting strange due to her fiancé showing up. He also didn't find it weird that her hugs were longer than it used to be, he just figured it had something to do with the previous night.

Melody came to prepare lunch as usual and the shop was closed from 12:00 to 13:00; so everyone could gather around and eat together, including Soos and Wendy.

After lunch, Mabel went to the shop with Dipper, Wendy and Robbie, happy to be able to hang out with them the whole afternoon until the shop was closed at 18 sharp. During this time, Wendy was very perceptive in looking at how closer Dipper and Mabel were with each other. She didn't know why, but she could guess by the way the teenager pirate kept touching her. She didn't notice, however, that the princess was a bit distant, maybe because Wendy didn't know the girl as well as she knew the boy. But she noticed that Mabel tried to hug everyone at least once before or after dinner.

The truth was that the princess was bidding farewell without telling anyone. Mabel wanted to tell them about Gideon's proposal, that she didn't have a choice but to go with him. She knew they wouldn't understand, though. Especially Dipper. He'd only say that she didn't need to go, that she couldn't go and tell her he promised her she'd be save. But how could she do that? There were too many lives at stake that would rely solely on her choice.

Even feeling as she was deceiving them all, she did not yield. After helping to clean up after dinner, Mabel said goodbye to Melody as she went back to her house, being escorted by Soos, and not long after that, Wendy decided to go home as well, still smelling a rat when Mabel hugged her before she left.

"Well, that was a busy day." Grunkle Stan commented, the house got suddenly quieter with less people around.

"I don't know why are you complaining, old man. I was the one who worked all day at the shop." Robbie said before drinking a long sip of rum directly from the bottle.

"It is the least you can do since you're sleeping under my roof and eating my food."

"Aye, aye…"

"And don't drink too much, we all need to keep at least a bit sober in case Blind Ivan's crew or now the snobby prince's men show up." Advised Roderick, worried. Robbie nodded in response, but kept drinking anyway.

"Don't worry too much, Roderick. I don't think none of them would come so soon…" The princess replied, still having to hide the fact that they didn't need to worry because she was leaving that night. "I think I'll go back to my room, now. It's getting late."

"Are you going to sleep, already?" Dipper asked.

"No, I still have some stuff to sew and then I'll go to bed."

"Okay. I'm gonna take you there."

"I know the way."

He rolled his eyes at her joking tone. "I know. I just want to accompany you, silly." And so he stood up at the same time she did to walk upstairs with her by his side. As soon as they got on the second floor, the boy slipped his hand around her waist for the hundredth time that day, though she was definitely not tired of it. "So… should I come to your room later?"

"I'd like to, but not tonight."

"Oh…" He wasn't exactly disappointed, but he was sure she'd accept it. "But you're okay, right?" Both Stopped in front of her temporary room.

"Yes. Just a bit tired. And I'm worried about your knee too. You shouldn't be walking around so much."

"I'll be fine. By the way, now we have a good excuse to just marry already. I mean, what kind of man would I be if I didn't take your hand in marriage after what we did last night?" His suggestive grin was breathtaking.

"A pirate?"

"You know what I mean…. Hey! That's it!" He exclaimed suddenly with a great idea, Mabel just tilted her head in confusion. "If you're already married, you can't be Prince Gideon's wife!"

"Dip, it's not gonna work. If he wants to marry me to expand his territory, he'll just want to kill you to clear the path. It's not gonna be that simple. Besides, he thinks we're siblings and don't forget about Roderick, he's yet to get used to us. We'll just have to find a way out of it."

"Technically speaking, we are twins…" He mumbled irritated, though he was glad that he could put his feelings aside at least to lie properly to Gideon, all it took him was necessity for him to manage lying so well.

"Yeah, but just forget about it. And you know, at least we're never gonna forget the other's birthday." Her joke managed to make him chuckle just a little. She slowly reached his hands and interlaced her fingers in his. "I'm glad you took me away from the palace. I got to meet you and so many things, learn about weapons and self defenses; I got to visit places I never thought I could; and I also got to feel things I never thought I would. So, thank you so much, Dip."

"Come on, you don't need to say it like it's the end. I still have a lot of things to show you. And you're gonna learn a lot more about fighting. You'll see and you'll like it all."

"Yeah. I guess I would." She whispered and he raised an eyebrow, he didn't have the time to ask anything, though, because she pulled him by the shirt to shut his mouth with hers in a very long kiss.

After a few long minutes, they separated panting; it was hard to breath due to their hearts beating so fast. By then, Dipper had already forgotten what he was going to say or inquire; he could just pull her closer by the waist. She embraced him as well and said in a very honest voice, "I love you so much."

"I love you too." He whispered back. Then, she kissed him again saying goodnight before she entered and closed the door behind her.

The sewing thing was actually just an alibi; she could do it, though she was not in the mood. Instead, she just found a blank paper, pen and ink in a drawer of the table and wrote a farewell note. When it was done, she left it on the pillow, so anyone could see it easily when searching for her in the morning. Then she turned off the lamp and waited until the sounds and lights seemed to cease. And as soon as she felt it was safe, she grabbed the first beige cloak Dipper gave her and put it on before slowly opening the door to leave.

The corridor was dark and silent, with a relived sigh; she walked down the stairs, already knowing the way like the palm of her hand. Robbie and Soos were sleeping near the fireplace in the living room as usual, but she didn't expect to see the kitchen with the lights on. She figured that probably Stan and Roderick were spending some time in there, drinking and chatting.

Mabel gulped and turned to the window she used to escape the first time, right before Dipper promised that he'd protect her. Once again, she prepared to jump out of the window, but her heart almost skipped out of her mouth when someone surprised her from behind, "Leaving so soon?" Mabel turned and saw Stan not too far away from her.

"Hi, Grunkle Stan… Look, I can explain…"

"It's okay. I know, girl. I overheard you talking to that snobby prince. I know you don't have a choice and even though I don't like to keep it a secret, but I also know that Dipper wouldn't really understand. He doesn't know what war means; I know. When I was young, our country faced many wars. It pains me to say it, but you're doing the right thing." Mabel didn't know how much she needed to hear it until that moment. She hugged and thanked the old man.

"I just wish Dipper could forgive me someday. I know I'm being too selfish not telling him…"

"He will; I know it. Would you want me to come with you to the docks?"

"No, it's okay. I can handle it with the things you taught me."

Stan nodded and so she left through the back door. Stan waited a minute before going after her in secrecy. He wouldn't risk her getting hurt on the way, though he respected her wish to go alone.

Mabel walked down the streets, already knowing the path to the docks. She forgot the detail that Wendy's house was in the way, and she certainly didn't expect to be spotted by the fellow pirate girl, who was awake talking with her father by the window. It was customary for her to chat with him when she was in town, especially at night after her annoying brothers went to sleep while drinking. When Wendy saw Mabel walking down the streets, she almost chocked and ran after her.

"Mabel! What are you doing here?"

"Wendy? H-how did you find me?"

"My dad and I like to watch the streets at night and count how many drunken people we see. Now, what the hell are you doing here? Come with me, I'll take you back to Stan's."

"No. I can't go, Wendy."

"What? Nonsense."

"I'm going back to the palace. Gideon is taking me there."

"He can't do that. He can't force you! Come with me and we'll fix it!"

"No, Wendy. It can't be fixed. I just… If I don't go, he'll start a war. You don't know how it feels like to have this kind of decision in your hands. I am a princess, I can't put myself first. Do you know how many lives could be lost in a war? Hundreds, maybe thousands, from both sides. I can not do that." By then, her voice was almost failing and about to sob. Wendy's forest green eyes suddenly got a lot wetter than usual.

"B-but it can't be! There has to be another way."

"For now, I can't do anything else, Gideon gave a deadline; I have until dawn. I left a note on my bed explaining everything."

"Dipper doesn't know it, does he?"

"No one, except for you and Grunkle Stan. I… I really need to go, now. By the way, there will be a small ship with a serpent on its sail at the docks. The ship and its contents are for you guys. It's my ransom, so at least you won't be empty handed." Mabel said feeling her hands automatically reach for her necklace. She let her fingers brush it, feeing the pendant's ledges. Looking down at it, Mabel squeezed the object in her hand and finally took it out of her neck. "You know, Wendy, I'm going to be a queen. I'm going to rule this kingdom. And now I ask something from you, not as a ruler but as a friend."

"Anything." The pirate girl replied, ready to comply. How could she deny a favor from a dear fried, maybe even best girl friend, she has? Especially when said friend was in need.

"Give this to Dipper for me. He deserves it. I have other stuff from my mom back in the palace but he doesn't. And maybe he can remember me when he looks at it." And so she handed her the golden locket. Wendy didn't understand exactly what the princess meant, but nodded anyway. "Just tell him I'll always love him." The pirate hugged her friend in answer. "And please, wait until morning. Not only because I know he'll try to come after, but also because I want him to rest well tonight."

It didn't take long until Mabel continued walking to the docks. Wendy silently followed her as if to make sure of what was going on, finding Stan in the middle of the way doing the same, following the princess to assure her safety. Both watched Mabel boarding in a big ship that soon set sail after her arrival. There, they also sighted the ship with the ransom. Wendy told some members of the crew to take care of it until morning, and then, she and Stan walked back to his house.

Obviously the neither the red haired nor the old man could sleep that night. They drank and chatted until the first light of the day shine in the horizon. After that, Wendy knocked on Dipper's door to wake him up. Roderick was there as well; even so, who opened the door was the teenager. Groggily, he rubbed his sleepy eyes, getting out of his room.

"What are you doing here so early, Wendy?"

She couldn't say anything, however, he could notice her eyes were wet and maybe a bit puffy. He couldn't remember the last time he saw her friend crying so he raised an eyebrow, soon starting to feel more awake as he noticed something was wrong. Before he could ask what was it, she gave him a necklace. Dipper froze when he realized it was Mabel's pendant.

He didn't think, he just felt the need to run to his old room. He burst the door open and entered, hoping to see her sleeping there as if it was just some kind of stupid prank. Instead, he just found nothing but coldness and emptiness. Dipper just _knew_ she was gone, and that was why she acted that way the previous night. He felt rage for being so stupid not to notice, and then betrayed and numb, overwhelmed by a deep sorrowful anger. How could she leave him like that?

His knees felt weak and he felt, regretting it instantly because of the very sharp pain in his injured right knee. In deep pain, he sat on the bed, finally noticing the paper with his name on it. He grabbed the folded sheet in half and opened to read it.

On the farewell note, she explained everything, but even so, he still felt awful, angry and betrayed. Wendy gave him space and time before walking in and handing him the pendant one more time. He watched it swing in front of him for a second or two until he grabbed it.

"She asked me to tell you she'll love you forever. She also said something weird, there's other stuff from her mother in the palace but you don't have it… I guess what she meant is that the necklace might remind her of her mom and she hoped you could remember her with it…"

But Dipper knew what she really meant. This necklace was important for her because was her mother's, which happened to be his as well. Giving him the pendant was not only a poor try to make him feel better, so he could have something from his mother and from the girl she loves at the same time. He sighed realizing just how weird this whole situation was.

So lost in thoughts, he didn't notice Wendy leave and his father replacing her until he sat beside his son. Roderick put a hand on his shoulder.

"So… Stan told me what's going on…"

"Can't we follow her? Get her back?" The feelings were clearly clouding his judgments.

"You know we can't. And not only because my ship can't work miracles, it's fast, but not _that_ fast. But the most important thing is that it was her choice."

"Yes, but… but how could she do that? How could she leave me like that?"

"Son, how could she not to? It was this or war."

"I know, but I just… I'd rather have her here than just her necklace." Dipper confessed. "How can't I do anything about it? I love her. All I want to do is be with her, but I'm stuck here while she's going back to her fancy palace to get married to an awful snobby little man that I just wanted to kill for hitting her, he's going to make her life a living hell and for what? To avoid war. She's sacrificing herself for an entire kingdom and no one's ever going to know it. No, in fact, people like us are just going to hate her just because she has a huge house, a bunch of servants and money. I did that before I knew her. It's not fair."

"I know son. Life's not fair. If it were, I'd have married your mother instead." Roderick's words made a light bulb appear in his son's head.

"You… you stayed with my mom anyway. She married another man, but you stayed by her side no matter what."

"But of course. I loved her and she loved me. And I kept loving her still, even if she chose another man. Back then, she told me she didn't have a choice; she was blackmailed into it or something like that, which is the main reason I hate the king."

"Great. Just great." Dipper exclaimed ironically. "And now history is repeating itself. You should have gotten her instead of me. You should have saved her from living in the palace."

"How would I know something like that would happen? The plan was for us to raise the two of you together, knowing each other all along. But then, she died and everything changed. I had nothing but you, so I decided to come here and start again. Things were very hard and then came the opportunity to become a pirate and I could somehow avenge her working against the king."

"I know you told me that, I'm just… furious! She doesn't deserve that. I… I want to go there. I want to go back to the palace; I want to stay with her no matter what. I could just work in the castle like you did when my mom was alive."

"What?"

"You heard me. I could do just like you did. I just need to stay by her side. That twisted snobby little prince is going to ruin her life and I want to be there to collect all her broken pieces."

"Son, you have to know that this is a very reckless and dangerous decision. And it's not gonna be easy."

Dipper rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I'll have to work a lot, so what? I can get used to it."

"No. What I meant is that it will be hard to see her with another man and do nothing. Even if you know she hates and despises him, even if you know, in our heart, she loves you just as much as you do, it will hurt. She'll still have to walk in public with him, she'll have to sleep in the same room as her husbands, you two won't be able to see each other for too long and she'll probably have to kiss her husband in public, even if she doesn't want to. And you're gonna be there to watch it all, unable to do anything, acting as nothing more than a servant. So, yes, it is going to hurt, a lot."

Dipper sighed, looking down, clenching his fist against the golden locket. He thought for a few seconds, now much more calmer than moments ago. Slowly raising his head, he looked at the hazel green eyes of his father.

"But was it worth it?"

"Are you kidding me? If I could chose, I'd do it all over again if that were what it would take to be with her."

Father and son made sad, truthful smiles to the other. And Roderick side-embraced his offspring.

"Then I guess you know what I'm gonna do next."

"Yes, I do. Don't worry; the ship will be ready in about two days. Until then, I'll give you some tips to infiltrate and blend in with the servants."

* * *

 **So, what do you think about, it, guys?**

 **Is it good? Is it bad? Do you like it or not? Why? What do you think is gonna happen next? Tell me on your reviews! They mean a lot to me!**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	30. 29 - Request Refusal

**Hi! I'm sorry it took so long! But I'** **ve finally updated! It took me a while because my internet kept going out...**

 **And now, my answer to the my dear Guest reviewer:**

 **Thanks so much! I love it when people say they have strong feelings about my stories, even if they're mixed, because I love to have strong emotions when I'm reading a book... I just hope they weren't strong and bad feelings, loll. Well, I can only say that Dipper will try his best! I hope you like this chap too! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 29**

 **Request Refusal**

One week had passed since the day Mabel left Salus City. It took Mabel about three and a half days to reach her destination: Capitol Alyoth, therefore, almost four days had passed since she had come back to the palace. Dipper and the pirates left two days after her, Roderick told him all he needed to do to get closer to the princess.

Dipper followed Roderick's instructions. First, he'd have to enter the palace and find out if Lady Susan still worked there. According to the captain, Lady Susan was a servant in the castle and worked there since she was a little girl, she met young Roderick and he end up telling her, his story with the queen. The woman couldn't help but find it adorably romantic and helped him to infiltrate into the servant staff so he could at least stay near Queen Leanne Madison.

After that, the path would be clear and all he'd need to do was wait for the opportunities to get near Mabel. And it was not gonna be easy, especially because he was the new boy.

Even with a few restrictions, he managed to see her a few times. Unfortunately, though, she didn't see him. It was not her fault, usually, he was far away or she didn't have a chance to look at him, and how could she ever imagine he was there, anyway?

In the two days he was in the castle, he did everything he could to get near her. For example the time he was at the kitchen and heard someone calling the girl that usually takes Mabel's tray of food to her room and he just stopped everything he was doing to jump and grab the tray, announcing he'd do it. When the girl asked him to stop, it was already too late; he was already out the door.

But it was no use. When he got to her chambers and nocked on the door, which the path he remembered clearly from the first time he had been in the castle, instead of Mabel, a short girl with black hair answered it. He didn't know if it was Candy or Grenda, but he knew it was one of them. She grabbed the tray and thanked him, saying he could go. He sighed and tried to say he should enter to prepare the tea or something, but she dismissed him and closed the door before he could even open his mouth again.

And during those 2 days, there was only one other time that he got close to be spotted by his princess. It was when he was taking something to princess Pacifica and accidentally let the cups fall on the ground. The blond girl suddenly started to yell at him like the spoiled little royal brat she is and that he hates.

Dipper was no fool and he just stayed with his mouth shut. That was when Mabel showed up telling her cousin to stop complaining and let the poor guy work. The pirate noticed she didn't look at him; she just kept glaring at the blond who just rolled her shallow blue eyes. He knew that she didn't notice him, but he was glad that she defended him even not knowing she was doing it for him.

One of the first things Dipper observed when he first laid eyes on her back in the palace was that she didn't have her usual smile on her lips. The second was that she looked thinner, he didn't know if it was due to lack of proper eating or the really tight corset. Or maybe both. And he noticed that her trays of food often came back to the kitchen barely touched. He kept wondering where her beautiful curves were; those tight dresses seemed to make them disappear. And where had her joyful smile been?

He didn't know the answer for that, though he knew it had something to do with Prince Gideon. Dipper never despised someone as much as he did the megalomaniac little man.

There wasn't much time to think about it, though. He only had time to think about Mabel in between work. With only two days working there, the new boy was overwhelmed with chores because at night, there was going to have a party at the Great Hall. Apparently, the King had an important announcement and wanted to do it in an important occasion. Some of the guests were staying at the palace and were already there, including Prince Mermando, or so Dipper recognized at the distance.

"Geez, I can't believe they like so much to party. I mean, there was a ball when I met her and now another one. Can't they just stop doing it?" He complained under his breath while setting a huge table for the guests for the night and tidying the place up as was ordered. "And just great, now I'm talking to myself. I must be going crazy for the lack of people to talk to… Or maybe I just miss her too much…"

He was glad that at least he spoke low enough so no one could hear him. All this work normally wouldn't be so straining if it weren't for the fact that only almost two weeks had passed since his knee got dislocated. It still hurt for walking, bending and standing on his feet all day long. It didn't help at all bumping the injured knee on a chair while he set the table.

"Shit! Bloody hell!" He cried automatically, mentally cursing himself for being both stupid and unlucky to bump it once in a while when it wasn't completely healed yet. He gulped and slowly turned around as he heard a coughing sound right in front of him. He guessed it'd be Lady Susan or another supervisor scolding and telling him to behave. He found a highborn woman instead. "Sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Say that? Yeah, I understand. You're new here, aren't you? You're lucky I'm not so picky about it as other people. Swearing here is unacceptable."

"Yeah, I started only two days ago, madam." He remembered to add at the end.

She narrowed her eyes a bit as she traced his body up and down with attention. Dipper couldn't help but notice the woman reminded him of Mabel, but then again, everyone did that since he was crazy to talk to her for days, only imagining how she'd react when she sees him. "Are you hurt, boy?"

"Yes, madam, but nothing serious. I guess I just need to sit for a while. But I have too much stuff to do right now; the party will start soon. If you don't mind, I should go back to work." He did a small nod in respect before he started walking away.

"Sure, I just… You should get some rest, I wouldn't want you to get hurt…" He stopped walking and raised an eyebrow. Usually the highborn people weren't so kind to him like that. "It's just… you awfully reminds me of someone…" She mumbled as if to excuse herself for being so oddly worried for the new servant boy.

"Well, my dad used to work here when he was around my age. I really look like him, perhaps I just remind you of him…"

"Sure… And how old are you?" She couldn't help but ask. Dipper raised an eyebrow once again and looked to the sides, not expecting this at all.

"I'm sixteen." The woman suddenly widened her eyes as if she realized something important. She discretely looked around just to be sure there wasn't anyone on earshot. Unfortunately, the room was full of people preparing the Great Hall for the party later that night.

"Come with me."

And then, the beautiful woman just turned and walked, he was a bit confused for a second or two before following her. They went straight to the bedchamber area; the woman opened one of the doors and entered, gesturing for him to do the same. As soon as both were inside the enormous bedroom, she closed the door. The room was probably as big as he remembers Mabel's to be, which was at least the size of the first floor of Grunkle Stan's house, including the shop.

"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong, madam?"

"No." She gulped turning back to him. She knew, she just knew who he was, yet she had to ask. "You're Dipper, aren't you?" The pirate boy frowned, confused.

"Yeah… That's how people call me…" He answered suspicious, his pirate instincts screaming for him to grab his hidden dagger behind his back, however, when he looked at her he only saw goodness in her, so it appeased his urge to reach for the blade.

The woman even raised her hand and brushed his bangs out of his forehead, revealing his despised birthmark, making him jump backwards. Her smile was wide and she couldn't stop herself when she hugged him. Dipper was so shocked he didn't move a muscle at first.

"Oh my God! Dipper! Last time I saw you, you could fit in my arms! Now look at you, even taller than me! You've grown into a handsome young man." Then, the penny finally has dropped. Dipper knew who this woman was. The only person inside the palace that knew him as a baby: his mother's sister.

"Aunt Mary." It was not a question.

"Yes. That's me. Mabel must have told you about me, haven't she?"

"She did. And Roderick too."

"And how is he? It's been so long since I last saw him. I guess since my sister passed away. Sometimes I even wondered if you two would still be alive, it's not like we could exchange letters often, especially after I heard about him becoming a pirate." She said finally separating enough to look him in the eye, and then she wiped her wet cheeks. "By the way… what are you doing here?"

Dipper knew she didn't mean it in a rude way; she only wanted to know what brought him there.

"Ok, so you know we kinda kidnapped Mabel about a month ago, right?"

"Hard to forget."

"And I suppose Mabel told you a bit about what happened there, right?"

"Indeed."

"Well, I don't know how much she told you, but… we fell in love with each other. I know, we're siblings, please don't be freaked out by it; we didn't know and it's not like we could change how we feel…"

"She told me, Mabel had never kept a secret from me for too long. I'm not freaked out anymore, but it's still a bit weird, though."

"I just couldn't leave her. I need to see Mabel again…" But Mary cut him off.

"You want to do the same thing Roderick did with your mother?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Dipper, that's just crazy. Insane. Do you know how many times they almost got caught? And do you know what could happen to you if they get you?"

"I'm a pirate, aunt Mary. I can get away somehow and I know about the secret passages. But even without it, I had to come. I love her."

"Oh, for crying out loud! Fine, then. Geez, you and Roderick are so alike." She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as well.

"Then, you're gonna help me?"

"Well, I would never be against you, so I don't have another choice, boy."

"That's great. So you can help me talk to her. I've been here for two days and she didn't even get to see me. Where is she?"

She grimaced, "Oh, Dipper… She's with Gideon and their parents. They're talking about the wedding…" His shoulders fell and his focused right to the floor. "The official announcement is tonight, that's what the party is for. It was going to be the day she got kidnapped, but it was postponed for obvious reasons… But you can go to her room afterwards. I'll make sure to clear the path for you."

"Thanks. Just, please, don't tell her I'm here, yet. I wanted to surprise her."

"Geez, boy, you're even sweeter than your father."

Dipper just rolled his eyes.

* * *

"The party had just started." Grenda pointed out.

"Yeah…" Mabel mumbled in a bored tone.

"Do you want us to go down and stall them for a bit?" Asked Candy.

"No… I can't really go the usual late anyway. Not this time. Gideon doesn't want me to get there late. I don't really care, but I won't be there early, either." And so, the princess stomped inside her huge closet to grab the dress she'd wear that night. Candy and Grenda were already ready for the Ball, but Mabel was only using her white undergarment and slightly messy lose hair.

Grenda and Candy exchanged concerned looks and the latter bit her lower lip, like she always did when she was getting nervous. Mabel had told them everything, she didn't need to be secretive with her ladies, they knew each other since they were twelve and their bond turned out to be very strong from the beginning with lots of things in common.

So both girls knew about the handsome pirate who she shared her first night with, the captain that was in fact her mother's lover and even about Gideon's true nature, which she didn't have the time to tell before she got kidnapped. But alas, it wasn't really a kidnap since she wanted to go anyway.

Mabel came out of the closet bringing a very neat and fancy dress that she let on her bed. It was a beautiful gold and purple dress; probably any girl in the palace would love to wear it. But for Mabel, it lacked something. It was just so… _common_. There was nothing different about it, anyone could be wearing this, and it was just plain _boring_. Beauty was not enough; she wanted to be unique. However, her father and Gideon made it pretty clear that she was not supposed to go crazy that night.

"Girls, please help me tie my hair up."

"Sure." Both agreed at the same time, following the princess as she sat at her dressing table.

Grenda was usually a very strong and not careful type of person, but brushing hair was something she liked to do and could perform it smoothly. Therefore, she was the one who grabbed the brush to start doing working on Mabel's long locks while Candy gathered some bobby pins and a silver crown to ornament her friend's chestnut hair.

"So… Have they decided on the date, yet?" The black haired girl dared to ask still organizing the pins.

"No, but my father agrees with Gideon in doing it by the end of the month… It will be here, and then I'll go with Gideon and his parents back to his country. The king and queen are going back tomorrow and they'll only return for the wedding."

"And Gideon is staying, right?" Grenda guessed as she started to pull her hair up in a beautiful, yet boring bun. Candy helped too, braiding her long braids back so it could meet the bun on the back of her head and be at least a little more appealing to the princess.

"You're kidding me? He's almost like a hawk, watching my every move so I won't 'mysteriously' disappear, even though he _knows_ I won't go anywhere. I can't go anywhere…" She rolled her eyes, annoyed. Candy put the crown on her head and then her hairdo was almost done.

"You have to talk with your father, he has to understand." The chubby girl with the short red hair said.

"Don't you think I've tried? I'm asking him to reconsider it even before I was kidnapped. Before I knew about Gideon's façade."

"Then, just tell him the Prince's evil plan!"

"I don't think it will work, but I guess I could try one more time…" Mabel mumbled getting up from the chair in front of the dressing table and walked next to her bed, where her dress was lying. Candy usually helped her adjusting it, so she went after her friend and princess.

"Too bad that if the announcement wasn't tonight you'd still have more time. I mean, our king is already settling up everything and he even got some people working to prepare the wedding, but it could still be cancelled without further political problems if it's not official…" Candy commented in a sad voice, grabbing the dress on the bed.

"Wait, Candy, that's it! You're a genius!" Mabel exclaimed suddenly. She had been so gloomy lately that the few times she smiled was when she was talking about her time with the pirates.

"You should tell my parents, then. But, wait, what did I do?"

"If they can't officialize it today, I'd still have more time. And they can't do it, if I'm not down there with them. Our country's etiquette says that both bride and groom has to attend at the announcement, so if one of us aren't there, it cannot be official."

"Do you want me to punch Gideon for you?" Grenda asked anxiously. She was dying to do this for a while now.

"No, are you crazy? You're gonna be arrested before you get close enough in the first place."

"But you can't just stay here, your father or even Gideon are probably coming here just to rush you." Candy reasoned right before she heard knocks on the door. "Geez, that can't be one of them already! We're barely late!"

"I'll get it." Grenda announced in her deep, husky voice heading for the door while Candy helped Mabel adjusting the corset on her back. Grenda partly opened the door and saw a servant boy with a silver tray, the strong, chubby girl stayed between him and the room, since Mabel was getting dressed. "What is it?"

"I was supposed to get this tea here…" He mumbled trying to pry inside the room just to see if the princess was there. Grenda just kept in front of him, blocking the view.

"Thanks. I'll take it from here." And then the girl grabbed the tray and slammed the door shut right on the servant boy's face. Both girls looked at her friend holding it and asked with their looks what was going on. "That new servant boy, Candy answered the other time. He brought tea."

"Oh, yes, I asked earlier for it." Commented Mabel, her mind drifting of to a certain pirate, somewhere inside her, she hopped it'd be him, making some excuse just to see her. But she knew it was impossible, he'd probably be mad at her for leaving him like that without even saying a word. "I wanted to see if the tea might call me down a little..."

"Anyway, so what is your master plan?" Candy tilted her head in wonder.

"Well, if I can't just say I'm feeling sick because someone is dragging me down, I'll have to pass out right before the announcement."

"And how are you going to do that? Gideon will know if you're faking, right?"

"Yes. That's why you'll have to pull the corset very tightly. I need more time and right now, the only way I'll get it is by fainting right before the announcement."

* * *

Mabel walked through the Great Hall. Hundreds of nobbles were dancing and chatting. Some were sat and others were standing and drinking while looking at the ones dancing in the middle of it. The place was beautifully decorated, the music was pleasant and everything seemed perfect. That is, for ordinary people, for Mabel, it was just the same thing she saw her entire life.

Staying a few minutes there, she greeted some people, talked with others, drank a little bit of wine and just looked plain bored as she tried to breath and move with that dress and corset so tight it was difficult to breath. All she wanted was to go back to her room and stay there until the night was over.

Sighing, she could see her father on the other side of the room, talking to Gideon's parents. He nodded and then walked away; it was her chance. She held her breath and grabbed her very long purple dress, pulling it up a bit before going after him.

"Father." She called reaching his pace, panting, it was so hard to breath! "Father, I want to speak to you."

"About that subject again, isn't it?"

"Yes. Of course. Please don't make me marry Gideon."

"I told you, we need this alliance."

"There must be another way to do it, I was thinking, maybe even doing something with Marenia too. They became powerful allies, they have plenty resources to help Gideon's country especially in the medical and naval fields."

"That's not gonna be enough for them or us. Besides, now that he saved you, it's pretty much obvious to everyone that this marriage is bound to happen."

"But I don't want him, I don't love him. He's… He is not what he seems to be. I know it sounds crazy because he's wonderful and all but he's not like that, he's mean and manipulative…"

"Mabel, stop it. You don't understand but this is for your own good."

"For my own good? How can it be for my own good after what I just told you?"

"You'll be safe there, that's how."

"Safe there? You mean with Gideon, in his castle?" It was a rhetorical question. "So that's it all about? Safety? I've been locked inside this damn castle almost my whole life and I haven't been really safe. I'll never be. And even that didn't stop me from being kidnapped by pirates, which, by the way, were absolutely kind to me. Kinder than most people I know. In fact, they were the ones who saved me from people that were hired to kill me." She blurted out, she didn't mean to, but she did. She thought it wouldn't actually make a difference since he wasn't listening anyway, but the king stopped walking and looked at her.

"What?"

"You heard me. They were good people and they saved me."

"But from whom?"

"Other pirates… Anyway, that doesn't matter anymore. The thing is, I can't marry Gideon, Father. I don't love him and I never will."

"It's not about love, it's politics. You might not know it, but I know what's best for you."

"No, it's not. And you're not even listening to me. You're not even trying to stop this wedding. Why are you doing this?" She asked but he just sighed and turned to walk away, he didn't really like to repeat himself. "Is it because of mom? Is it because she didn't love you? Are you taking it out on me?"

Mabel didn't expect she'd inquire it, but she just couldn't help. It just came like a wave and when she caught herself, it was already there. Her father turned to look back at her. She knew in that moment that he knew what they were talking about. Mabel knew about Roderick and so did her father. There was a lot of anger in his eyes, but there was something else too, though she couldn't quite put her fingers on it.

"Queen Leanne Madison loved me." He said in his husky-furious tone, "This is about her, but it is not what you think. One day, when you're older, you'll understand. My decision is final. Now, behave yourself; we have guests."

Then, he turned and left her standing alone. Mabel sighed, feeling her heart beating fast and nervous from the argument. She knew that bringing her mother into it would be a bad thing, but it was an accident, when she realized what she was doing, it was already too late. And it wasn't really her fault, she was desperate and he just wouldn't listen to her! King Albert just kept saying it was the best thing for her and that she'd be safe there. How could it be?

Unless… unless he knew about her Aunt and Uncle Northwest's plan to try to kill her. And if that was it, then for how long did he know? Why didn't he do something about it? Maybe just send them somewhere else; Mabel didn't want to kill them, she was not that vengeful, she just didn't want them around anymore.

With the sudden realization that there was so much more than it seemed to be, she felt as if the air was brutally knocked out of her. And she couldn't get enough back in. It was like there wasn't enough space for it to enter, she felt squeezed tight in that stupid corset. She grabbed a cup of wine on a nearby table and drank half of it in one sip, even though it was absurdly difficult to swallow anything, there was just not enough space. It was a bad decision, it didn't calm her nor helped the air in, she could barely move her waist and torso; the corset was just too tight.

She began to feel lightheaded and dizzy. The cup slipped her fingers and fell down, splashing the wine on the floor. She gave two steps back, raising a hand to her forehead to try to stop the world from spinning around so fast. She kept panting; it was just so hard to breath that soon she felt her whole body weak and heavy, her senses suddenly failing. The last thing she was aware of was someone holding her before she hit the ground as she fainted.

* * *

Earlier that night, Dipper was frustrated for once again failing in seeing her when he took the tray with tea to her room. And then he went to the Great Hall to work and satisfy the guests.

It took a while, but she finally walked into the hall. Holding a very long purple dress that he could barely see her feet even though she walked holding it up to walk. Her beautiful long hair usually hanging over her chest was now up in a bun with a crown on it. As always, she was stunning, but he had difficulty in finding her iridescent gleam he loved so much.

He kept watching her from afar while working, he had to wait the guests and make sure they had wine in their cups. The feast would be at the end of it, after the announcement. Dipper didn't want to admit it, but that was something he really didn't want to witness, and suddenly, he understood the depth of his father's words. It was indeed very difficult for him to handle the fact that she was not going to be his. That she couldn't be his. But he was not giving up on her; he was not going down without a fight.

Even though he was working, he didn't lost sight of Mabel, he wanted to reveal himself, but he knew it would not be the right time. He'd rather do this alone, in her room, if only her friends would let him inside…

At the distance, he eventually saw her heading towards her father, the king. Dipper didn't know what they were talking about, but he could have a pretty good idea by the way they were talking. Since they were a bit far away from most people, he guessed they couldn't be heard by most of them. Not able to contain himself, he got near them very slowly.

"This is about her, but it is not what you think. One day, when you're older, you'll understand. My decision is final. Now, behave yourself; we have guests."

And that was all Dipper could hear of the conversation and then the king walked away. Mabel was visibly shaken up after that, in fact she looked like she was going to cry. He felt awful not being able to do anything for her. Slowly, he got closer. The princess grabbed a cup of wine and drank half of it in one long gulp, almost choking; he widened a little not knowing she could do something like that.

It was only after that he realized she was beyond about to cry and was actually feeling very bad, about to collapse, to be more accurate. She panted more and more as if she had difficulty in breathing. For a moment, he wondered, very worried, if there was something in the wine, but he had been attentive, especially with Mr. and Mrs. Northwest, after all, they tried to kill Mabel before and they'd surely do it again.

Desperate, the pirate saw the cup slip from her fingers and then she just couldn't keep her eyes open. He knew it wouldn't take long before she collapsed so he let go the try on his hands he was using to wait at the guests and rushed the few steps that separated them right on before she lost her senses and fainted, grabbing her before she could get hurt colliding against the floor.

"Mabel! Come on, love, talk to me. Please, Mabel, open your eyes!" He mumbled desperately and shaking her gently until he felt a soft hand on his shoulder and froze, suddenly aware of the people gathering around them.

"Not here." His aunt's voice said in a whisper. He sighed slightly relieved while she cleared her throat and spoke louder with a mandatory tone. "Take her to her quarters, I'll send a doctor shortly."

Dipper nodded and got her in his arms before standing up and marching to her room as fast as he could. On the way, he noticed her difficulty in breathing, he didn't know why though; he just knew he had to fix it somehow. Could it have been something she ate? Or drank? There were a million possibilities and the worst part was that he knew there were people trying to get rid of her right under this roof. So nervous, Dipper could barely think straight.

Slamming the door open, he finally laid her on her bed, his arms could barely hold her and the layers of dress. The problem wasn't that she was too heavy; he guessed she actually got thinner this past week. However, her room was so far away from the Great Hall that he wouldn't be able to handle a few more meters. In fact, the palace was so huge he didn't get to see all of it during the two days he had spent in there.

"Mabel? Mabel!" He kept calling but it wouldn't work. So he had an idea. Realizing the corset was tight and probably not very comfortable; he decided to open it up. It should at least make it easier for her to breath and get more comfortable.

He gently turned her to the side, taking a look at where her dressed closed on her back. Quickly, he began opening it, and then, it was time for her corset. This time, he just didn't have the patience to open the damn strings, so tight and adjusted it would take forever to finally open it. Therefore, he grabbed his always hidden dagger on his back and cuts lose the strings. At that moment, his only goal was to help her.

Her response was immediate and he could see her chest area expanding to inhale all the air she could take at once. Confused, he looked to the sides. Was it the only problem? He was glad it was nothing serious like poison, but he didn't know she only passed out because of a stupid tight corset. Who did that? Whoever it was, Dipper wanted to punch him or her in the face.

Mabel groaned, probably starting to get conscious again, he sighed very relieved she was going to be okay. He was about to shift her again, belly up and dress still covering her, though not tight anymore, when he heard gasps coming from the entrance. He usually likes to close the doors, he's still a pirate after all, but he didn't have a hand to do it when he arrived.

"It's not what it seems…"

"Get your dirty hands off her, you pervert freak!"

"What? Wait! No, it's not it! I was only trying to help!" Dipper tried to explain as he found himself in big trouble.

* * *

 **Here it is! Yet another chap! Dipper is finally in the castle and now we got to know a bit more about Mary, King Albert and even Candy and Grenda! Do you guys liked them? What do you think of this chap?**

 **The story is getting to an end, so I'd really like you all that are liking the story to tell me the points you liked the most or that you didn't like so much until this moment! That's really gonna help me a lot! :D**

 **Itban Fuyu**


	31. 30 - He wants the mostShe wants more

**OMG! Today is the day! I don't know if I'm ready to the end of Gravity Falls...**

 **And since today is such an especial day, I got to update! :D**

 **Now, answering the Guest review:**

 **Yeah! Indeed it was kinda similar, I guess I was subconsciously thinking about that scene with Elizabeth Swan, lol... Oh, I love Mary as well! She's great! And you know what, the like/dislike about the king was what I wanted to hear about him, so I'm very happy to read that! For me, Albert was one of the best characters that I ever wrote for many reasons that I can't tell now because of spoilers... And you have good suspicions, I still hope to surprise you at the end! And I can see you've been paying a lot of attention! It makes me really happy! :D Oh, and I hope you won't die with the GF finale... I still need to prepare my heart for that...**

* * *

 **Chapter 30**

 **What He Wants the Most and What She Wants More**

"Get out! Get out!" Candy yelled as Grenda grabbed him by the arm and pulled him towards the door. Dipper didn't know how that chubby girl could be so strong; it was like she had more muscles than him. And she probably had...

"Wait, I didn't mean any harm, for crying out loud! Would you just listen to me? I just want to know if she's okay! I need to know!"

"And why would you need that?" Candy rationalized while he was being shoved out of the door.

Both girls in front of him, blocking the passage. But he could still see Mabel inside, She stirred and whispered something he could have sworn it was his name. Dipper didn't know if she was still dreaming or if she heard him and was starting to wake up. Or maybe it could even just be wishful thinking.

All he knew was that he needed to be by her side that instant, so he ducked and entered inside the room once again by the narrow space between the two startled girls that were pushing him away. When Mabel opened her eyes, she saw her dashing pirate boy looking at her, worry and relief all over his chestnut brown eyes.

"Dip?" She inquired confused, telling herself she must be dreaming, still.

However, it was no dream. It couldn't be by the way he kissed her, that feeling was _real_. So much different than the dreams she had been having since she left Salus City. She raised her hands to pull him closer, one behind her neck and the other on his shoulder blade. Dipper had to hold still with his right hand on the mattress so he wouldn't fall on top of her.

Meanwhile, Candy and Grenda exchanged very widened-in-surprise eyes. They both guessed who the boy actually was and regretted trying to shove him away, but they wouldn't do that if he had told them his identity from the beginning. Snapping from her surprise, Candy closed the door behind her. The loving couple jumped in surprise and turned to the source of the noise.

"Sorry to interrupt, but, you know, the doctor must be heading this way right about now."

"Oh, yes, you're right." Mabel mumbled a bit embarrassed by letting herself be taken like that. "By the way, did it work?"

"Yes, you passed out in a great moment. Your father seemed to be about to call Gideon for the announcement."

Dipper was puzzled. So it was her plan all along to faint in the middle of the ball and scare him to death? He didn't have time to ask because Mabel gently pushed him away just to get enough space to sit up, and when she did, she noticed her dress was opened on the back before she suddenly turned with a devious grin on her face and a raised eyebrow to Dipper. She didn't need to say anything.

"Hey, don't look at me like that, I was only trying to help you breathe."

"You scallywag!" She joked, slapping his arm tenderly.

He smiled seeing her so happy and laughing. Since he got to that stupid castle, he had only seen her unusually serious and sad; it was breaking his heart. To know that _he_ was the one responsible for her smile was amazing; it made everything worth it.

His father was indeed right all along. It was hard and difficult to go through everything he had to do just for a short brief moment like this, but these moments had the power to overcome the hard ones. When she stopped laughing, she looked at him confused, reality finally hitting her.

"Dip, don't take me wrong, but what are you doing here?"

"Well, seems like I'm following my dad's steps one way or another… I've been working here for the past couple of days."

"Dip, you can't! You always dreamed of being a pirate. You can't just be locked inside here your whole life like me."

"Dreams change. Being with you is what I want now. And I'm not locked, I can get in and out of the castle whenever I want and you know it."

"But…"

"I'm gonna stay here. With you. Just like our…" He trailed off, noticing the girl's presence in there.

"They know." Mabel reassured him. Dipper glanced at Candy and Grenda and then back at his princess.

"About everything?"

"Of course. Do you really think I wouldn't tell my two best friends about my adventures with a sexy, handsome and dashing young pirate?"

"I liked that you mentioned the sexy part first." He chuckled. "But do they know _everything_?"

"You mean about your father Roderick working here and the mother that you share? Yeah, she did." Candy answered, not really liking to be treated as if she wasn't there, though she wasn't going to nag.

"But don't worry, handsome, she didn't say any details about a certain night." Grenda joined after her friend, winking. He ashamedly buried his red face on his hands.

Both ladies laughed, but stopped soon. Mabel rolled her eyes and shifted closer to him, making him face her by gently pulling his face towards her. She leaned for a kiss and they broke apart rather too shortly in his opinion. This time, it wasn't such an eager kiss as the first, full of missing the other; this time, it was slow, deep and sad.

"I thought I'd never see you again… I thought you'd be mad at me for leaving you like that."

"Of course I was mad. But I also understood you didn't have a choice. Well, at least not one you could live with. So, if you couldn't come with me, I followed you here. If you're by my side, I know I am where I'm supposed to be."

She couldn't help, but smile. "Oh, Dip, you're so wonderful."

* * *

"I'm serious! Call this thing off at once!" Mary said in a very nervous and angry voice. She was walking side by side with the king, both heading to Mabel's room, leaving the party for a few minutes. "She doesn't want it so bad that she passed out!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Mary. No one would faint just because of that. It was probably something she ate."

"It doesn't change the fact that she doesn't want it."

"Oh, Mary, please just stop it."

"I'm serious!" She stepped in front of him and they stopped walking. The corridors were empty, then. "And now you'll listen to me, Albert. You had to marry one of us and you just had to choose my sister. You had to force her into it. And I've been fulfilling her role since the day she died. I've been organizing your parties and balls, I've been helping the poorest as I could and I've raised Mabel since she was a baby. My sister once told me she that if she ever had a daughter, she'd not let her marries unwillingly like you did with her. She loved someone else, you could have chosen me instead."

"She loved me and you know it. Besides, we were betrothed since we were kids and you were only a baby. Not the other way around."

"I'm talking about romantic love, not fraternal love. Anyway, you could have let her go. If you truly loved her, you'd have."

"Enough, Mary!" His voice was raspy and rude, it was also high, but he wasn't yelling, yet. "Don't you get it? This is all for Mabel. I'm trying to save her. She's not safe here anymore. Do you think I'm stupid? I know her life is threatened here. Now, please get out of my way before I lose my temper with you."

The king then walked around her and continued walking towards her daughter's chambers. Mary sighed heavily and sad, but turned to follow him. Both soon found the doctor who was also heading to the same place from the other side of the castle. The doctor knocked on the door and soon Grenda opened it.

Mabel was standing near her bed, her dress opened on the back with Candy behind her, trying to help her. At first, only Mary noticed the servant boy standing on the corner.

"I'm feeling better now." The princess announced.

"I see, but let me verify that." Said the doctor. He began examining her and soon he concluded she fainted due to lack of air. "You should be more careful, Your Royal Highness, you could have broken a rib with a very tight corset. But you're fine now, just need to rest for the night."

"Thanks."

After that, the doctor recommended some tea and food if she felt like it and left. Candy commented she'd help her take the dress out so Mabel could put her nightgown. Just then, with the corner of his eye, the king acknowledged the servant. At first, he didn't mind him, until he glanced a second time and saw that he was a boy. Dipper gulped as he realized the king was piercing him with his eyes, analyzing all the boy's features.

"I don't like him. What is this new servant doing here?" The red haired man asked in a surly tone to no one in particular, except Dipper.

"I just wanted to be sure she was okay…" He began explaining, but was interrupted by the king who wasn't even looking at him.

"I did not address to you and apparently you need to know some manners. Now, leave. If you haven't notice, she's just fine and needs to change."

Dipper's blood boiled in anger and he clenched his fists. It was surely not easy to get used to those kinds of reactions of nobble people. He gulped and said in the normalness voice he could use, "Yes, Your Majesty." He turned to leave but stop before he could reach the door.

"Wait." If it were anyone else but Mabel he'd probably have ignored it and keep going.

"Yes, Princess?" Dipper remembered not to use her name in the nick of the time, looking at her.

"Could you please bring me breakfast tomorrow morning?" The boy nodded and turned to go, he knew it was only an excuse to see each other again. Before he could walk out that door, he could still hear her turning to the king. "Father, you didn't need to speak to him like that. He was only worried and trying to help. In fact, you should thank him, he was the one who caught me when I fainted and brought me here." And that was all he could hear before Grenda closed the door.

* * *

Candy accompanied Mabel to the closet so she could change into her white nightgown. King Albert asked the three girls to leave and remembered them to bring something so Mabel could eat, ordering not to get the servant boy to do it, the princes was engaged and having a boy in her quarters at night was not decent. Mabel rolled her eyes at that, before sitting on the corner of her bed.

The girl looked at her father, wondering why he was still there. Albert wasn't the kind of man to just sit and talk, but apparently, that looked like it was what he was gonna do. He sighed, before he could ask.

"You didn't do this on purpose, did you?"

"What? Passing out? Come on, no one can deliberately faint, father." She hoped he wouldn't see she was sort of lying.

She couldn't pass out at will, but she asked Candy to tighten up her corset and Mabel hoped she'd be unconscious before the announcement, which was luckily what happened. Once in a while something like that could happen, some women wanted to tie the corset so much that they could break a rib too. Mabel could never do something like that, though.

The king closed his eyes and massaged his eyelids with the thumb and index finger. When he stopped, he turned to look at her. His eyes weren't as severe as they use to be, his stern composure partly gone. She tilted her head noticing this, her now lose hair swinging with the movement.

"I know you think I don't care, but it's not true. I'm doing all of this for you. For your safety. Marrying Gideon is the best for you. He's a young benevolent prince, his kingdom is very big and away from danger, yet it's close enough to get in a few days trip."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"I mean here's not safe for you anymore. And the truth is that I don't even know for how long Gideon's palace will be safe for you." She couldn't say anything, fearing it might interrupt him. Could he be talking about Aunt Northwest? Did he know it all along? Or at least suspected? He kept trailing off, as if finally letting go something he's been hiding for a long time. "It's kind of a double edged sword, you know… I want to give you more power so you'll be protected, but the powerful you get, the bigger target you become."

"But… what? Who? What are you talking about, father?"

"You do not need to worry, Mabel. I won't let them get to you. Maybe when you're older I might tell you. Right now you'd only be afraid in vain. I just want you to understand I'm doing this for you." He told her. "Now rest, your friends must be coming with food, eat it and go to sleep. I'll announce your wedding the day after tomorrow at noon."

Mabel felt her eyes get wetter and she lowered her head as her father stood up and walked away, telling her good night. She didn't even try to complain; she knew it would be useless because he just wouldn't listen to her anyway. All she knew is that she wasn't going to sit and accept it so easily.

* * *

"Good morning, my beautiful queen to be. I heard the news, your dad is going to announce our union tomorrow."

"You can quit the act, Gideon. We're alone here, if you haven't noticed." Mabel told him not even turning to face the prince. She was sitting on her dressing table, looking at the mirror while she put some earrings on.

"Oh, but I'm very happy about it, my queen to be."

"Great, I know that, my father told me. You may leave now." She said hoping it would drive him away; Dipper would be bringing her breakfast at any minute now.

"You can't boss me around, my princess. I'm going to be your husband by the end of the month, remember? And I'm very excited for that." Gideon slowly made his way to where she was sitting, stopping right behind her.

Mabel's hair was in a half ponytail, leaving her long bangs out of the way and with some beautiful hairclips to ornament it. He methodically swung her hair from her back to in front of her, hanging by the shoulder at one side. Then, with one hand, he touched her neck as if he was caressing her, but Mabel flinched at his touch. Gideon just laughed.

"You better get used to this. We're gonna be husband and wife fairly soon." His possessive tone was annoyingly nauseating. She sighed and he guided her to stand up and face him. "And I think maybe we should practice a little, don't you think?"

Then, all of a sudden he just kissed her. Mabel pushed him way immediately.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Kissing my fiancée, isn't it obvious?"

"Yes, but you don't like me, you're after something else that comes with me."

"Look, just because I want your kingdoms doesn't mean I don't find you beautiful and attractive."

"Yes, but you're not interested in… Wait, why did you say kingdoms in the plural?"

He chuckled.

"So, you don't know? You've got to be kidding me right? Please tell me you're joking." Mabel raised an eyebrow and looked from side to side, still confused. Gideon only laughed more. "Oh, for crying out loud, you really don't know, do you?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking." She said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, geez. How come you don't know your grandfather by your mother's side was Stantre's king?" Mabel was confused by this revelation. How come she didn't know about it? Why would everyone hide it from her? She didn't know she could be the heir of a country she's never even been to. No, wait. She's been there once. She spent brief hours in Anwril City. "Oh, I get it. Probably no one told you, right? Well, that's probably because he was a really awful king. So bad that he was murdered. Which, obviously made a mess in the succession line… But, with a few people out of the way, you could be queen there too. Isn't it wonderful, my dear?"

"No… My mom can't be from Stantre… I'd have known." He chuckled once again.

"Geez, you are as beautiful as you are stupid. I like that." And so he kissed her again. She'd have pushed him away again, but she was so shocked she could barely move at first. In fact, she couldn't even close her eyes, which led her to see the figure of a servant boy stopping at the door. And the sight broke her heart.

Roderick told Dipper everything. How it'd be difficult to be in the castle in a servant position. He'd be yelled at on a daily basis and often scolded, maybe even humiliated from time to time. He'd have to work a lot and barely have free time. He'd have to do everything as he was told. He'd have to wash, clean and serve with perfection not being able to complain. He'd not be able to be with her whenever he wanted. It'd be excruciating difficult and he'd probably want to quit it every day at least once. And the worst part was that he'd have to see the woman he loves with another man and not be able to do anything about it.

Dipper knew it'd hurt. But he didn't know it would be that much. No one likes to see the person they love with someone else, even if it's not a willing betrayal. Dipper knew she didn't want Gideon. He knows she loves him, instead. Even so, seeing her kissing that snobby prince was worse than a punch in the stomach. Maybe even worse than a kick a little down south.

Seeing his very hurtful look gave her the reality shock she need to come back to the present and push Gideon way one more time. Only then, the prince noticed the servant boy's presence; though he had to glance at Dipper a second time to recognize him.

"Put the tray on the table and leave." Gideon's voice was bitter. Dipper had no other choice but do as he was told. When Prince and princess were alone again, Gideon turned to Mabel with fury in his shallow blue eyes as he suddenly gripped her arms very tightly. "So you brought you 'brother' with you?"

For a moment, her heart jumped, imagining how could he know about that, but then she realized he was saying it just because Dipper pretended to be her brother in Salus City.

"What? No…" However, he cut her off.

"Don't lie to me, I'm not stupid, I remember his face and that was him. Is he in love with you? Oh, yeah, of course he is. He wouldn't be here if not. Look, I'm gonna say it once and I'll be very clear. I don't care how many men you had before our marriage, I don't care if you're a virgin or not. But from now on I'm gonna be the only man you have, do you understand? I don't want _anyone_ doubting I'm the rightful father of the children you'll bear. If I see him again around the palace, I'll kill him, bitch."

Mabel's blood was boiling in pure anger. She probably never felt so infuriated before in her entire life. So when she realized she had slapped Gideon right on the cheek wasn't so surprising as it should have been. Gideon, on the other hand, was astonished, slowly raising his hand to touch his red cheek.

"Disrespect is unacceptable. Don't you ever call me that again, especially in my kingdom, in my own house. You don't have the power to execute any one in here. I'll be the queen and you, only my consort. I will not let you kill anyone on my lands. Now, if you excuse me, there's somewhere I need to be." She tried to leave but he snapped out of his shock and grabbed her by the wrist, turning her back at him.

"Very well, but I still don't want to see him here. And as soon as we marry, you'll come with me to _my_ kingdom. And I don't want your ladies with us. On my country, you'll have ladies from my kingdom and they'll teach you everything you need to know and how to behave there."

"They are my friends, you can't prevent them from visiting me, that's outrageous."

"They can visit, but only for a short time and if they ask me first. And I'm not gonna let you come to your country without being escorted." After that, Gideon just left the room with very quick steps.

Mabel sighed and sat on the bed for a few minutes. She tried to eat her breakfast, but couldn't get much done. She knew she'd have to draw Dipper away and fast, or else Gideon might get even crazier and try to hurt him anyway. The princess felt her eyes getting wet once again, and as she wiped her wet cheeks, she couldn't help but point out how angry she was for crying so often lately.

Afraid of having her room watched by Gideon's knights, she asked Candy to get Dipper and take him somewhere else. The black haired girl did as she was told and headed to the kitchen, looking for him.

"Hey, new boy, please follow me." Candy called as soon as she saw him. He left the vegetables he was chopping and went after her, a girl near him took his place after finishing her task.

"Hum… You're Candy, right?" He asked then they were alone, walking down he corridors towards a part in the palace he hadn't been yet. The girl nodded. "And where are we going? This place is new for me…"

"Mabel asked me not to tell you. She said it's a surprise, but you'll like it."

Finally, they stopped in front of a huge double door. The girl opened it and gave him enough space to enter. As soon as he did, he decided he liked the place. The room was enormous, full of books everywhere. Obviously, it was the library. There were also a lot of tables there too, meant for people to sit, read and study. Mabel was at one of them, in the corner of the library. She was reading a very thick book, but stopped to look at him when he entered. Dipper could see a smile on her face, but it oddly didn't reach her eyes.

"I'll leave you two alone." Announced Candy closing the door.

The library suddenly got awfully quiet; Dipper just could keep looking around with amazement in his chestnut eyes. She stood up and walked in his direction, reaching her hand, she gently squeezed his hand. Mabel held her breath, missing him already.

"I knew you'd like it. I wanted you to see it at least once, after all, it was our mom's favorite place, you deserved to know. I used to hide here once in a while, just to be away from boring royal stuff, though I was never a nerd like you."

"Hey! But you like that about me… And I really liked this place."

"But I bet it's not as big as the library in Anwril City that I didn't get to see, right?"

"Well, no. That library is much bigger than this, but here is just a room in a castle, theirs is like a whole building full of books." Dipper explained. "Do you think I could borrow a few books once in a while?"

"I love that about you, Smarty Pants." She whispered. Her sad voice caught his attention and he turned his sight from the books on the shelves to her eyes, narrowing his own in confusion. "And I guess I could arrange that, if you were staying."

"Wait, what?"

She sighed and slowly let go of his hand. Looking deep in his eyes, Mabel could see all his surprise, fear and even a little bit of anger.

"I'm so sorry. But you need to go."

"Mabel, I don't understand. Why are you doing this?"

"Dip, Gideon recognized you. He doesn't want you here; he wants you dead."

"I'm not scared of a snobby prince, Mabel. I can take care of myself, I'm a pirate."

"You know I love you and I wish I could be with you, don't you know?"

"Hell, yeah. And I want it too. That's why I'm bloody here!" His tone was a bit rude; clearly, he was very frustrated, but wasn't yelling.

"Dipper, I'm not staying here, that's the problem. Gideon is taking me to his kingdom after we marry." Dipper clenched his fists, every time he heard about the wedding subject he felt a knot in his stomach. Just to think that she'd have to sleep in a room with another man and sharing the same bed was enough to drive him mad.

"Then take me with you as a servant you trust."

"I can't. Gideon won't let me. In fact, not even my ladies are coming with me and I didn't even tell them about it." She said, sitting at the table once again and closing the book she was reading before he got there. That wasn't any book; it was a record one, which she was using to check about her mother's family. Indeed, she could be the heir of Stantre as well as her country. The news were a bit overwhelming. "You don't understand; Candy's and Grenda's job is to accompany me. But they are my friends as well, and they can't go with me just because that short manipulative prince said so."

"He can't do that. It's not fair; he can't leave you alone."

"He can. But he's not leaving me alone, there'll be ladies for me there as well, to teach me all about his country. Gideon's only doing that because he can, because he's mean. So if I can't take them with me, why would you think I could take a servant?"

Realizing how sad and defeated she felt and tried to calm down, sitting by her side at the table. He refused to yield.

"Take me as a bodyguard, then. He couldn't stop you from taking a bodyguard. I know I'm not the best swordsman I know, but I'm fairly good or I wouldn't have survived this long as a pirate. And I can learn more. I can be trained by knights or something."

"Dipper, he'd kill you the moment we got there. He wants you dead because you're a threat to him."

"How could I be a threat? I'm just a servant and he's a stupid prince."

"Because I love you." She suddenly stood up; so nervous, she just couldn't stay in one place for too long. He stood up and followed the few steps away from where she was. Finally, she turned to face him once again, her voice shaking. "I'm going to be a queen; I can not have anything less than a king… My love is poison, and it's gonna get you killed."

"Come on, don't be melodramatic." He tried to joke, but failed miserably.

"I'm not. Dipper, in his country, if anyone doubt about us, we're dead. Literally. Betraying the king is an act of treason and he could have you hanged for that in a blink of an eye. Okay, he might not be king, yet, but he'll be eventually. And he could kill me as well, though I don't think he'd do that before I deliver him rightful heirs so he could rule my kingdoms."

"Wait, I didn't know your life was at stake too."

"You knew you could die for being with me?"

"Yeah. It's in the bunch of things my dad told me. And he'd only know that because you told him."

"Anyway, here I could control things. I could arrest you instead and you could sneak away through the secret passage inside the dungeons. In his country, I don't have enough power for that and even if I did, there's no hidden passages for you to leave. So let's just stop it at once and spare more suffering. You just go back to your pirate life. You'll find another girl to love. A girl that can go with you and love you as much as you deserve."

"Bloody hell, no. There's never gonna be another woman for me but you. Shit, why didn't my dad take you instead? They should have swapped us. I wouldn't be forced to marry that psycho little man. Maybe we could be together, then."

"There's nothing we can do now. So just go. I want you out tonight. If I see you again tomorrow, I'll arrest you."

Dipper gulped. "You can't be serious."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't do this to me." He mumbled, truly hurt.

Both knew it wouldn't be hard for him to get out of prison, he's a pirate, he could pick a lock whenever he wanted, besides, he could escape from the dungeons easily. The problem was that once it was done, he'd probably never set foot again inside the palace, he'd be recognized and arrested again in best case scenario and then executed for running away. Once he got arrested, he pretty much wouldn't be able to ever see her again, unless he was lucky enough to find her out side the walls of the castle.

"Then go before I have to do this." Dipper looked away and clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. His blood was boiling in fury. "I'm so sorry, Dip. But I want you alive more than I want you by my side." However, Mabel knew this simple explanation wouldn't be enough to sooth his aching heart.

She got near him, trying to reach for his hand again, she could see all the pain in his eyes, even though he was looking away. He felt awful, he was doing all of this for her, he wanted to be with her no matter what, but now, she was shoving him away.

Unfortunately, though, she had to stop getting close to him when the doors suddenly burst open. Startled, Mabel jumped one step backwards and turned to look at the door. Dipper remained motionless. Three guards entered the library and the last one close the door behind him.

"You father asked us to check on you." The first one explained. Mabel tilted her head in confusion; she doesn't remember seeing their faces around the castle. The second one stopped near the first one, almost as if circling her, while the last one kept staying by the door. There was something odd about them.

"I'm fine, thanks. You may go."

"We're not leaving you, Princess."

Mabel held her breath and unconsciously gave a step back, suddenly realizing something that nearly made her scared heart jump out of her chest.

"You're not from my father's guard." She stated as they exchanged looks. "Who are you, really?"

* * *

 **So, guys, what do you think of this chap? Please leave me a review!**

 **Oh, and just so you know, corsets were actually dangerous, some women could break ribs for real... at least that's what I found on my researches...**

 **I hope you all enjoyed! :D**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	32. 31 - Desperate Measures

**OMG! I can't believe Gravity Falls is over... I... I still can't take it... I can't... I think I'm gonna cry again...**

 **At least you guys still have this fic to keep going for a while... but it's getting to its end as well...**

 **And now, answering the guest reviews:**

 **Guest (Feb 15): If you mean the guards that entered the library... No. It weren't Trigger and Powers.**

 **Guest (Feb 16): Me too! I barely survived after that finale... And I almost cried a few times... OMG! And you're right, there's still soooo many questions left, but at least Alex answered the most important ones... I think he kinda just wanted to get over with it already, I think maybe Alex was a bit tired... But, who knows... Maybe he could do a "Gravity Falls 2.0", with them a bit older... lol, that would be nice! I know he wanted 3 seasons at the beginning, with more episodes, there would be time to explain a lot more of mysteries... Anyway... Sorry to add more pain to your heart with that chap, I think this one might add even more so... Sorry... I hope it won't be too much, though.**

* * *

 **Chapter 31**

 **Desperate Measures**

"You father asked us to check on you." The first guard who entered the library explained.

Mabel tilted her head in confusion; she doesn't remember seeing their faces around the castle. The second one stopped near the first on, almost as if circling her, while the last one kept staying by the door. There was something odd about them.

"I'm fine, thanks. You may go."

"We're not leaving you, Princess."

Mabel held her breath and unconsciously gave a step back, suddenly realizing something that nearly made her scared heart jump out of her chest.

"You're not from my father's guard." She stated as they exchanged looks. "Who are you, really?"

Everyone from the king's guard rarely called her only 'Princess'; they usually used the formal 'Your Royal Highness', orders of the king. Her father was a very strict man indeed.

Meanwhile, Dipper was just looking away and feeling miserable until her statement got his attention. Turning his gaze at the three men, he realized that they exchanged looks and their stance was actually a bit threatening.

Over the years in training with Grunkle Stan, he knew how to scan someone to guess his or her real intentions. The pirate wondered why they were holding their sword cases with the left hand until they reached the handle almost simultaneously. Their stance turned from a bit threatening to real offensive just by withdrawing their swords.

The twins got to the same conclusion at that moment: they weren't here to check on her, they were here to kill her.

Dipper went from gloomy to a ready stance in a blink of an eye; adrenaline kicking in and making him forget how stupidly sorrowful he was feeling moments before. Their lives were definitely more important than their argument. The pirate quickly positioned himself between Mabel and the three men.

"Get out of the way, servant! And you might as well survive."

"You see, that's the problem, you'll only hurt her over my dead body."

The three laughed mockingly. The first one humphed and said, "No problem, boy."

Dipper frowned at how coward they could be to attack an unarmed girl when they were three men, using armor and long swords. That was just cowardice and it pissed him off even further.

His first thought was to even the situation, quickly, he grabbed the thick curtains at the window behind him and pulled it down with all his strength and threw it on the second man. His goal was to delay and distract him, so Dipper could handle him later.

Then, the first one, ahead of the others, charged against him. The pointy edge came right into Dipper's direction, swinging around his abdomen area. If he hadn't been training since he was six and hadn't spent the last two years in a pirate ship, he probably wouldn't be fast enough jumping backwards and deviate from he blade.

The man swung the sword again, this time; he was aiming for the pirate's neck. But before the blade got dangerously close, Dipper surprised the man by holding the flat part of the blade with his bare hands. Getting advantage of a second of distraction and surprise, the boy swayed his hands with one swift motion, making it swoosh away from his grip down to the floor. Dipper didn't have the time to reach for it then, instead, he grabbed the dagger hidden on his back and buried it deep in the man's neck when he foolishly tried to attack the boy.

Meanwhile, the other pretending guard went after their goal: the princess. He walked around the table to get to Mabel. She tried to run away, but it was a hard task to do with the stupid high heels she was wearing and the usually tight corset on her waist and chest.

She managed, however, to get far from him enough and stall him by throwing what she could at him, the books on the shelves between windows. It didn't really work, though; he kept swinging his sword at her as she tried to duck and get away from the blows. He tried to pierce her right in the middle of the chest, she managed to avert it, but barely; so she end up having her arm cut. Mabel yelped, not from pain, it didn't hurt that much, in fact, it scared her more than it hurt.

Trying to move away, she kept running to the other side of the table. Followed close by, she knew she had to do something fast, before he could touch her heart with his sword.

Scared and unarmed, she grabbed the only effective thing she could find, a chair that she swung it on the man. The impact was great enough to send him to the ground and let go of his sword, it also broke a chair leg; although it didn't kill him, only momentarily stunned.

Dipper glanced at her for a moment, wanting to help, but unable to. The man beneath the curtains had finally freed himself from the thick cloth and was quickly attacking the pirate. Dipper only had time to somersault and grab the sword from the first man that entered the library, which Dipper had just killed.

Now with a sword in hand, Dipper could fight better. He knew he had been lucky with the first guard-disguised man in finishing him of in such a short notice.

However, he didn't have the same luck with the second one, especially when he kept distracting himself by trying to look around to see if Mabel was all right. During the fight, both had to do some turn to attack and deflect and now, instead of having the window behind him, he had the library's shelves and tables.

The most difficult part for Dipper to handle was to find a good opening to attack, since his attacker was using armor, Dipper could only win by striking the neck or head, while his opponent could hit pretty much any part of his body. And being distracted by his beloved sudden yelp didn't help at all. For the brief seconds he desperately turned his head to the source of scream, his opponent managed to slam the sword in his hand with just enough strength to make it fall from Dipper's grip.

The pirate found himself weaponless again, and this man was smarter than the first one. Instead of trying to stock Dipper, the disguised guard tried to slay him, actually, the man got to open a gash right beneath Dipper's ribs. And once again, he found himself jumping backwards until he hit one of the tables.

The man quickly got advantage on the situation and pined him against the wooden board while aiming the sharp blade on the boy's neck.

The man held the handle with both hands and a lot of strength, the sharp point as resting on the table not far from him; the blade was only centimeters away from his neck. Dipper tried to prevent him by pushing the handle up with his left hand and by pushing the sharp blade away, feeling the metal dig into his right palm. He knew he had no easy way out. In fact, he probably wouldn't make it if it weren't for something hitting the man from behind and knocking him out.

For Dipper's amazement, as soon as the man's unconscious body fell to the ground, he saw Mabel standing there with a slightly torn up silver tray on her hands.

"Hey, this turned out into a surprisingly good weapon." She tried to joke, but her trembling hands indicated just how shaken up she was. She let the tray slip from her fingers and it fell down with a loud clang.

The pirate boy just looked at her, astonished. Had she just saved him? He should probably be feeling bad for being there to save her and not doing his job well, but somehow, he just felt even more drawn to her. Mabel could be that sweet feminine girl, yet she could be strong and have his back whenever he needed at the same time. How could he ever turn away from her?

She breathed heavily, turning her look from the tray on the floor to him. They gazed at each other's eyes for a second or two before they embraced the other at the same time. Both were just glad that they were still alive.

The moment was brief, though, because soon they hear a noise and Mabel could see the third man standing up, the one she had hit with the chair. He was behind Dipper, so he had to turn to understand why she gasped. The disguised guard was now weaponless, so he just attacked with his bare hands, shoving Dipper out of the way before he had time to reach for a fallen blade.

So the man advanced on Mabel, guiding his mighty hands to her neck and pressing her against a shelf. Dipper had fallen on the ground when the man shoved him away, so when the pirate realized what he was trying to do, he quickly looked all over the place for his dagger. He grabbed it and in a matter of seconds, he finished the filthy man off once and for all.

The princes coughed and inhaled deeply, lightly massaging her sore neck that turned red from his tight grip. Dipper let the dagger fall, now finally the threads were unable to harm any of them, he sighed relived, and suddenly feeling weak as he noticed his gash hadn't stop bleeding.

"Dip!" She yelped hugging to support him.

"Are you hurt?"

"Not more than you." So she helped him get out of the library, calling for help. Her father guards (real ones, this time) and servants heard and rushed to help them.

Mabel ordered the doctor to treat Dipper first; he was far too injured. The doctor only started to take care of her bruises afterwards. First the neck, applying ointment and then he turned to the cut on her arm. When the doctor was finishing his job, the doors of the infirmary burst open. The King, Mary, Candy and Grenda entered in a hurry. The two later girls stayed at the entrance, observing at the distance.

"For heavens, what has happened?! They told me you've been attacked." Her father said, concerned.

"Yes. At the library, just minutes ago." She answered. The doctor finished working and left them alone. "Candy, Grenda, could you please get me a new dress? This one is torn up and stained of blood. And new clothes for the boy as well." Mabel finished gesturing to Dipper, lying down on a bed; he was bandaged up, breathing slowly so his wounds wouldn't hurt as much. The girls nodded and left, though still worried.

Mary gulped and slowly approached the bed Dipper was on, she tried not to sound as concerned as she was when she asked if he was okay. The boy just nodded.

"He helped me. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be alive now." Mabel revealed. The King looked at Dipper, his harsh gaze piercing at him like needles.

"He shall be greatly rewarded, then. But it makes me wonder, how a servant boy like you, with no instruction, managed to fight like that. I heard that two were dead and one was severely injured, still alive, he was taken to interrogatory. They were not completely morons; they knew what they were doing. They managed to kill three of my men and impose as them, wearing my men's armor. How did you do this, boy?" The king finished, directly addressing to Dipper at the end.

The pirate shivered, he couldn't begin to tell how much the royal imposing man intimidated him. Dipper gulped.

"Father!" Mabel suddenly interrupted. "Don't go questioning him like he had done something wrong. I'd have been dead if it weren't for him. Besides, those details don't matter. We were just lucky and he got scared as well. So he's leaving after lunch."

Dipper's mouth was agape and he just stared at her. How could she just dispose of him like that? Those men were trying to _kill_ her. It wasn't an accident or a coincidence. It was planned. And it was different from Blind Ivan's time. Blind Ivan was hired to take her outside of the castle, now; someone was attacking her under her roof, in her house. This was different. It was not going to stop so easily. Those three men had failed, but the person giving the orders wouldn't give up that easily.

Yet, Dipper just looked away. He was so rueful that he could not do anything else. At least not for now. He was definitely not going to give up, but for the moment, he had nothing else to do but look at the stony walls and mumble a very hurtful "Fine."

He left the palace without even eating a last meal. As soon as he could stand up, he walked away through a secret passage.

* * *

Mabel hadn't seen Dipper since she left him in the infirmary. In the middle of the afternoon, she knew he was already gone. Although she already missed him so much, she knew he'd be safer away from her.

It hurt her knowing that he only got hurt when around her. Just in the past month, he had been shot when saving her from the navy men; he had felt awful when he find out about their origins and tried to take it all out on him, trying to spare her from the sorrow; he had dislocated his knee when trying to save him and he got a concussion when he tried to protect her from Blind Ivan's men when they captured her.

And now, he was severely hurt, lost a lot of blood and was very sore because he tried to protect her. Meanwhile, she barely hurt herself physically in those occasions.

She was convinced that being with her would only hurt him more until he got killed, which was very likely, since Gideon was determined to get rid of every man that dared to get near her.

Sighing, Mabel paced down the hallways. She couldn't bring herself to calm down. Stopping by a window, she leaned just a little bit, supporting her elbows on the windowsill, looking at the horizon. From that place, she could see the ocean, and a few ships here and there, some were big and others were small, but she couldn't see details or identify them. She could only imagine one of them were Roderick's ship, taking Dipper away.

The princess kept gazing at the sea so far, until a noise catch her attention. She turned to look at the source of it. Close enough to be at earshot, Gideon was talking with someone she could not recognize by the voice and she didn't want to get closer to make sure whom it was.

So curious, she decided to get near to hear it better. She didn't really like to sneak and hear private conversations, but at the same time, she knew she had to be extra careful with Gideon. She needed to be one step further or else he'd be.

"Of course. Everything is according to my plans." Mabel rolled her eyes hearing Gideon's perky voice.

"But the Princess is not gonna let you do it. She doesn't want war." The other person spoke.

"She won't have a choice. I won't give her any. She'll have to join in. Once we're crowned, our kingdoms will be united into the biggest kingdom of the continent. Conquer others will be easy. We'll start with Stantre. She has legally the right to be the heir there anyway. After that, we'll be unstoppable."

"Yes, but what if the Princess doesn't provide the Army you'd need for it? She is still the ruler of this country. If she doesn't provide it for you, it will be just your military force. It won't make a difference." The voice she couldn't recognize rationalized. And he was right; Mabel was never going to enter in war unnecessarily, let alone for Gideon's desires of power.

"That is until we have heirs. That's why my plans might get a little delayed than I'd want to."

"Just having heirs wouldn't be enough, she'd still be the queen."

"Yes, but for how long, really? She's a big target. I heard she was attacked and was lucky to survive. Accidents happen all the time. All I need is a healthy heir so I can rule as regent."

If Mabel was disgusted by him before, now she was close to horrified. How could Gideon say that so coldly and so methodically? His desire of power was so great he'd not have any remorse in trampling over anyone who gets in his way. No matter how he'd get rid of the person, if it leads to his goal, he'd do it.

And she didn't want to live like that; constantly threatened and having to walk around with guards all the time, being careful in what she'd eat, looking over her shoulders all the time, always afraid of everyone, because anyone could have her as a target. That was no way of living life.

She decided to get out of there before Gideon notices her presence. She needed to do something fast. Se couldn't marry him. Not now and not ever. He was a psycho little man who would not only get rid of his own wife, but would also condemn her kingdom. Or kingdoms, she still needed to get used to this.

And as long as she lived as a princess, her life would be constantly threatened and so would her people. She needed to stop this once and for all, so Mabel summoned Candy and Grenda in her room and told them her very wondrous decision.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." Mabel justified.

"I know but… Isn't it a little bit too much?" Candy asked, nervously putting her dark hair behind her ear. "Don't you think you're hasting yourself?"

"Candy's right. Don't you want to sit a little, maybe think about it better? Wait a few days; you're probably going to change your mind."

"No. I dot want to live like that. I _refuse_ to live like that. And if my father doesn't listen to me, then I have to o something by myself."

"I understand. But, Mabel, there's no turning back on it."

"I know. And believe me, I'm scared. However, it is the only thing I can think about to be free. Besides, it is best for me to do this even before the freaking announcement. Even though it's quite clear that we're engaged for everyone, I don't want to be officially related to him. Ever." Replied the princess, pacing from side to side on her room, so nervous she was.

"What if you just refuse the crown? Get exiled or something?" The chubby, strong girl replied.

"It's not that simple, Grenda." Mabel finally sat down on her bed, sighing and holding a tiny glass bottle with a liquid in it. "I am scared. I wish I could think of another way, but there's no time to do so. And I wish I could see Dipper again before doing something crazily insane like that, however he's probably on open sea right now. He'll be devastated if he finds out."

"I don't agree with it." Candy announced, sitting by her friend's side. Grenda followed and sat on the other side of Mabel. "But, no matter what, you're still my princess so I'll accept your request. And more importantly, you are our friend."

"Yes. We'll do it. Even if we're gonna miss you so much."

"Thanks, girls." Mabel replied, her eyes wet, but this time, it wasn't from sadness. "So I'm counting on you. Don't forget to dispose some of my dinner that they'll bring me later. I don't want anyone to doubt it. Everyone will think that I had been poisoned by the food."

* * *

"So, do you think the people behind it were the Northwest?" Roderick inquired. Since his son left the castle the previous day, he had been trying to comfort him, though he couldn't help asking it after Dipper told the story.

"At first I thought so, but now I have my doubts as I think about it more and more." Dipper answered, still lying on his bed. He had spent almost the entire day in there. "I think they'd try to do something hidden. Having three men pretending to be guards to kill her was a bit too drastic, don't you think?"

"But if that's the case, then…"

"I know." Dipper interrupted. "Then there's someone else after her. But whom and why?" He drifted off; looking at the golden locket Mabel has given him. The rectangular object kept swinging from side to side right above his head; he was the one making this movement, so bored he was.

Roderick tapped an anxious finger over the windowsill; he was sitting on a chair, looking at the city and to his son on the other side of the little room. The sun about to set indicated the afternoon was almost over.

Dipper stopped swinging it and lowered his arm, though he still kept the object in his hand, feeling the prominences of its details with his thumb. The boy sat up with some difficulty, he was still injured, after all.

"I shouldn't have left her. She needs me."

"Son, I am worried as well, but what could you have done? She sent you away. And what I understood of it, she did it to save you."

"But who is gonna save her, if I'm not there?" He inquired. "She could have been killed in her own home. Bloody hell, her own family hired freaking pirates to kill her. And I don't even know why so many people want her _dead_. She's not safe there."

"Yes, But you couldn't have stayed at that moment, son. She sent you away. And she's got a point; she's going to Gideon's country, you're gonna end up dead if you go." Roderick looked through the window again and sighed.

"I still could have done _something_ … Anything!" Indignant with himself, he just looked down at her locket. "I don't know, maybe even duel for her, I could list myself to her personal guard, or maybe pose as a knight, it would have been something… What do you think?"

"I think you're reading too much, it's not good for your health… I understand you're worried, however, there's nothing more you can do. Robbie, Soos and Wendy are coming with the ship in a few days. Maybe it's better for us both to leave." Dipper already knew that, Roderick said he'd stay for a week in an inn, just to make sure his son would be okay or wouldn't change his mind. "I know it's hard, but maybe it just wasn't meant to be."

Dipper suddenly turned his chestnut orbs at his father. He didn't say anything. He didn't need to; his piercing gaze already showed his father that he didn't feel like it. In fact, he felt the opposite.

Roderick just sighed and looked away. He got the message. Once again, Dipper laid down, wincing when he felt the pain on his gash right beneath his left ribs; his right hand was also bandaged up.

"It's just… How can I give up? Especially knowing she's in danger?" He mumbled irritated, he'd continue, however his father suddenly shushed him. Dipper forced himself to sit up one more time, glaring at Roderick. "What?"

"Do you hear this?" He asked, paying too much attention to a sound outside the window. Dipper concentrated, but he only heard bells dinging far away.

"Just bells."

"They're not any bells." Roderick stated. The boy noticed that his voice was suddenly quite husky and his face seemed to be paler than usual. "They're the Sorrow Bells."

Dipper looked to sides before gazing back at his father; somehow, he thought it was supposed to mean something that Dipper didn't understand.

"The what?"

Roderick sighed. Of course he wouldn't know what they are, usually, only people that lives or lived in the Capitol knew what it was.

"The Sorrow Bells are bells in the palace and they only dingle for one occasion." Roderick gulped. "They only dingle for a royal funeral… The last time I heard them was when your mother died…"

"Wait, _what_?"

"It is supposed to denote the people of the loss of a member of the royal family."

"No… You don't think… It can't be because of her."

"I don't know."

"No. No, no, no, no. It can't be hers. I need to go there." Dipper turned on denial and stood up, grabbing the servant clothes he used in the palace.

"Didn't she say you'd get arrested? Let me go instead and I'll tell you."

"No. I don't care. I need to go there."

"Fine. But I'm coming with you." Roderick announced, also grabbing more peasant-like clothes.

Both changed in a blink of an eye and got out of the inn. The second sign of something wrong appeared as soon as they set their feet outside; black lute fabrics were being hanged over shops and houses as if to show their mourning. This only made Dipper walk faster.

The bells were still dinging when father and son entered the castle. Roderick still remembered a lot of that place; he had lived there for about a year. Therefore, both ran to the part of the palace he knew was where they used to burry the royal family.

Dipper scanned everyone's faces, hoping to see Mabel somewhere, _anywhere_. She needed to be there, if it was a royal funeral, it was probably someone form her family. Maybe a grandmother or grandfather of hers? It could be anyone but Mabel.

He could see the people in there and recognized some of them. Aunt Mary was crying near a closed coffin, King Albert was on the other side of it; his usually severe expression was now sorrow. The Northwest family was there as well, the girl, Pacifica, seemed sad, her parents, not so much. Candy and Grenda were wiping by Mary's side. Even Gideon was there, he wasn't sad, though, he just seemed to be infuriated.

However, for Dipper's despair, Mabel was nowhere to be found. Dipper still couldn't believe it. Mabel couldn't be inside that coffin that was being buried that moment. It couldn't be her, he didn't even had the chance to bid farewell. She had to be somewhere else in the castle. And he needed to find her. But before he could leave, something stopped him.

His aunt Mary noticed father and son, apart from the crowd, but not so far away. A dreadful certainty suddenly rushed over him and he almost lost his balance. Mary's teary eyes said everything. He lost the air as if he had just received a punch on the stomach; he needed to get out of there. So he just ran.

The bells stopped dinging as soon as the coffin was buried. And by then, the sun had set. Roderick stayed there until the end, no one saw him, but Mary. Slowly, people went away. When almost everyone was gone, Candy and Grenda looked at each other and walked out of there, still wiping. Only Mary and the king remained by the buried coffin. Albert sighed heavily until he finally gathered up enough courage to leave.

As soon as Mary was alone, Roderick decided to approach her.

"It seems like we never meet in good circumstances, right?" She mumbled, trying to joke because she couldn't handle crying anymore. Even so, her eyes still got more water pouring out of them. "She was my little girl. I did everything I could..."

Roderick was serious and sorrowful; he wasn't crying, yet, though he knew it was only a matter of time. He had always thought Mabel was his daughter, having his blood or not.

"I changed her diapers, I cared for her… I even used to wake up at night to check if she was covered and well warm up at night… I guess it just wasn't enough…"

"Don't do that to yourself, Mary. It was not your fault." He told her, his hand reaching her shoulder; she leaned on him automatically, still sobbing. Mary had always known about Roderick, her sister would never hide it from her. And she supported their love all along.

"She was the only family I had left."

Roderick tried to make her feel better, but it was getting more and more difficult.

"Mary, I need to know… How did she die?" His voice was husky and shaky.

Mary sobbed for a little bit more before she could tell him. In the other side of the palace, Dipper got the same explanation as he overheard servant's conversation.

Apparently, she was fine until dawn, the last time she was seen alive. A servant had taken her dinner early. Grenda was the one who delivered her tray back. Someone saw a cat eating from her left overs and the poor animal showed up dead in the morning. Meanwhile, Mary went to Mabel's room to try and wake her up. It was no use, though. The girl was stiff and cold as ice; she was not breathing.

Dipper couldn't hear it anymore. The boy was torn up inside. If only he had been there, maybe he could have saved her. Maybe, he could have seen the person poisoning her food and stop it. Maybe, she would be alive now. He was angry. No, he was _furious_ with himself. It was his fault. He shouldn't have left knowing her life was in danger. Without even noticing, he took the locket out of his neck and looked at it for a moment before letting it collide against the ground.

He regretted doing so the minute he saw it opening with the impact. Quickly, he kneeled down and reached for the pendant, trying to close it back, but it wouldn't work. He'd have to fix it later; he'd have to. This locket was the only thing he had left of her.

Then, he ran for her room. Dipper knew it was stupid, but he didn't have the time to say goodbye so he needed to at least be in a place that would still have her presence somehow. He needed at least to smell her scent once more.

The door was locked. It wasn't really a problem for him, though. Being a pirate, he could pick a lock. And that was what he did.

The boy entered and silently closed the door behind him, resting his back on the wooden board. Slowly, he slid down until he sat on the floor. Looking at the empty, huge room, he sobbed. Gazing at the bed, he wondered how Mary felt finding Mabel there earlier. He raised his knees and ran the free hand through his messy chestnut hair, the other hand kept a tight grip on the locket.

For Dipper's dismay, his mind was already playing tricks on him. He felt like a stupid, freaking masochist at the sight of Mabel near the entrance to the closet. She was with a very surprised expression on her face, using dark pants and a thin white shirt, and she had her arms covering her chest area, just like the time he found her in his cabin. Her clothes suggesting curves of her body that he could still remember so well.

How could he ever enter in his cabin again without her? After everything they've been through? He couldn't. He wouldn't have the strength.

Shamefully hiding his face on his hands, he began crying. Dipper couldn't remember the last time he cried like that, he always thought a man was not supposed to cry. However, this time, he couldn't help it. And hearing her wonderful voice calling him the way he loved the most only made him sob even more.

* * *

 **So that's it for today!**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed the chap! And please tell me what you liked about it! Or maybe what you didn't like. I'd love to read your reviews! :D**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	33. 32 - From Nightmare to Reality

**Here's another chap, dear readers! :D**

 **And, as usual, first the answers to the Guest reviewers! I don't know which one was the one leaving a lot of big messages before, but, I have an idea and I hope I'm right...**

 **Guest 1 (Feb 23) "** Is Mabel faking death so she can run away? I hope so **"** **I hate to say it, but read to find out... Sorry... But thanks so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Guest 2 (Feb 23)"** I both hate and love you for this chapter! Why must you make me have so many conflicting emotions! WHAT WAS MABEL THINKING?! **" Were you the one leaving reviews before? I just imagined because the earlier Guest reviewer said something about feelings similar to that... Anyway, thanks so much for reviewing! Especially because knowing that my writing was able to create such conflicting emotions in someone; to make people feel something, is one of the best things on being a writer! And, sorry, but I can't tell you what Mabel was thinking, but you'll understand with this chap, so read to find out! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 32**

 **From Nightmare to Reality**

"Dip? Dip." Hearing her voice was like torture. It was almost as if she was still there, but he knew it was not true. "Dipper! Come on, you're scaring me, stop crying."

He could swear the voice was talking to him. Dipper knew he'd end up insane if his mind kept doing this to him, hearing and seeing her image all around, missing her so much, but never having her back. It was just too much for him to bear.

"Dipper! Snap out of it, it's okay!"

The boy suddenly jumped when he felt a soft hand touch on his. This feeling was most definitely _not_ a ghost, let alone his masochistic mind playing tricks on him. As he jumped in surprise, his head hit the door behind him, but he wasn't even bothered by it because he could see her and he knew it was not an illusion. She was kneeled by his side, _touching_ him. Yet, he had to be extra sure.

Slowly and maybe still scared of it being a dream or an illusion, he raised his hands to touch her. The locket slipped from his fingers, but he didn't even notice. Under his touch, he felt her warm skin. Indeed, she was alive.

"But… How? I… I saw them burying you… I heard people talking… You were dead…"

"You silly, paranoid one. You never saw me inside the coffin. There were only rocks inside of it. I'm still alive-" She was suddenly cutoff when he pulled her into a tight embrace. Mabel was surprised by it; in fact, she was surprised that he was still in the city. He just held her as if their lives depended on it, so she tried to joke to lighten up the mood. "But it might not last long if you squeeze me so much…" Then, he let go enough just to look in her eyes.

"How… why?" He tried to ask, but he didn't even know how to begin questioning what he needed to know.

"Oh, Dip, isn't it obvious? I faked my death. I didn't have a way out, so I decided to take drastic measures and save myself from my fate."

"So… Mary was just pretending to be sad? I don't understand, I thought she was devastated. And how did you pretend that?"

"It's because she thinks I'm dead." Mabel said lowering her eyes in sadness. "I knew Gideon would look especially her reaction. It had to be natural. If he finds out, then all of it will be for nothing. I'm telling her tonight, though. I just hope she can forgive me for being so selfish…"

"Who knows?"

"Candy, Grenda and the doctor. He was the one who gave me a sleeping drug, the effect would paralyze me for 24 hours; in fact, I woke up just minutes ago." She stated, but stopped as she saw the locket on the floor that he had dropped and reached for it, realizing I was opened.

"I let it fall." Dipper quickly explained. "I didn't mean to, but I can fix it somehow."

"It's okay, Dip." She knew she had to reassure him; he was still too shaken up. "But do you want it back?"

"Yes. Of course. But on your neck." He finished with a small smile. A part of him still convicted he was dreaming, but the other part was sure that her warm touch was real. And although the room was quite dark since the sun had set and there was only one candle lit on the dressing table.

"And… Dipper, why were you still here? I thought you were on open sea by now. I was hoping to get to Salus City before the news of my supposed death reached you."

"My dad was still in town, he ordered everyone to take a one week tour around here and go back later to get him. He just wanted to make sure I would be okay here after one week. Or if I'd change my mind, which I would never do." He looked at her and raised an eyebrow; the girl kept looking at the open and broken pendant with interest. Was it just her impression or was there something inside? "Are you listening to me?"

"Of course I am. I don't have to look at you to hear you."

He just rolled his eyes and cupped her cheeks so she could look up at him; Dipper wanted her full attention.

"By the way, I just want to say it was something crazy that you did. And I heard there was a poor cat that also fell into you trick, you know." He chuckled.

"What are you talking about?"

"I've heard some servants saying a cat was seen eating your food and died, which was how they knew you'd have died poisoned with your dinner meal."

Instead of playfully, she was horrified, her eyes widened in surprise and maybe frightened, too. He shrugged, it'd be fine, and they could save the cat from being… buried or whatever they did to dead animals around the castle. However, before he could say anything, she just shocked her head.

"I didn't put anything on my food."

And so, Dipper widened. Being the smart boy that he is, he quickly understood what that meant. It was an attempt of murderer, yet again; if it weren't for her crazy, precipitated plan, she'd have been dead by now, for real. Frightened, she sobbed, but quickly covered her mouth to prevent more sounds from escaping.

"How could I keep living here like this? It was only a matter of time before…" He gently shushed her, running his fingers on her hair on the back of the head to calm the girl down.

"It's okay now. You're gonna be fine. We're gonna get out of here and you'll be safe."

"You're right. I need to get ready." Mabel swiftly stood up, maybe too quickly, losing her balance for a moment and she had to hold onto the door not to fall. Dipper forced himself up as well.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm still a bit dizzy…" She clarified, the drug had a few side effects, but she was feeling much better than before. Dipper looked at her from head to toe.

"Are you wearing pirate clothes?"

"Yes. I made one in my free time since I got here. No, I didn't know I'd actually use it, but it was comforting to make them. It made me feel like I could dream of running away with you. But I'm not gonna use it in the city, it might attract too much attention. I'm gonna use peasant clothes, Candy and Grenda are providing everything. And they're probably getting here soon with Mary."

As she explained, Dipper remembered his father, he was also suffering her death, but he wasn't ready to leave her yet, not after thinking she was dead or after knowing she could have been dead for real. Meanwhile, Grenda got her the peasant clothes Mabel needed to disguise herself and black tea. She didn't know on the door because she thought it was still locked. It was a surprise for the chubby girl to find it opened.

"Mabel, are you awake?" Grenda asked as soon as she closed the door behind her. It was still dark inside.

"Yes. Thanks! And you brought the black tea as well, that's wonderful!"

"Black tea? Why do you need it?" Dipper asked confused from behind her. Grenda jumped in surprise.

"Oh Gods, what is the hot pirate doing here?"

The boy just laughed.

"Long story short, he was in town and came to see me after hearing the bells." After Mabel explained it to her friend, she gestured her to help her washing her hair, then she turned to Dipper. "I'll need it, but not to drink. We're gonna die my hair black so it will be more difficult for people to recognize me if they see me not looking me in the eye."

Confused, Dipper looked to the sides and just shrugged. He was surprised by the result about half an hour later. He didn't know it was actually possible to do it. Girls and their crazy cosmetic ways… Still, the point was that it worked. Mabel looked different; people who didn't really know her wouldn't recognize her easily.

The princess put the peasant clothes on and dried her hair as best as she could. Meanwhile, Candy was after Mary, by then, almost everyone went to sleep already. Especially Gideon and knights Powers and Trigger; without the arranged marriage, he and his parents would probably go back to their kingdom by the morning.

The black haired lady found Mary in her room, talking with a strange commoner man that was actually quite handsome. The woman's eyes were still red and puffy, but she wasn't crying anymore.

"Mary, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to speak to you."

"Sure, Candy. You can say anything."

"Not here. I need to show you something in Mabel's room." Mary and Roderick exchanged confused glances until she nodded and stood up, he did the same right after her. Candy was a bit taken aback. "I meant only you, Mary."

"It is okay, Candy. Whatever concerned Mabel, he can know."

The girl was still uncertain, but agreed anyway. She might not know who he was, but she knew she could trust Mary. And so the three of them silently walked to the princess's chambers. As soon as they entered, Mabel jumped to hug Mary.

"I'm sorry! Sorry! I'm so, so sorry! Please forgive me!"

"Mabel?!" Mary asked astonished.

"Yes…" The girl mumbled finally letting go just enough to look her aunt in the eye and she quickly explained everything almost in one breath. "I'm so sorry for fooling you, aunt Mary. But I couldn't risk anyone else knowing before it was the right time. Gideon couldn't know, he couldn't even doubt about it or it would be all for nothing. He knows I don't want this union, so I thought he'd be looking closely to your reaction."

"But then… _Did you fake your own death_?" Mary asked in a fierce tone. Mabel grimaced and bit her lower lip before nodding; her aunt suddenly slapping her arm nervously. "Geez, girl, do you want to scare me to death? I should ground for making me cry so much!" And then, she hugged her niece very tightly. "Don't you _ever_ do this again!"

"I know, and I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"

"Of course I forgive you, girl. I still want to ground you, though."

"Fair enough… Hmm… Roderick, is that you?" The princess inquired looking at the man standing immobile right behind her aunt.

Roderick couldn't move. He was too astonished to do so. Mabel got closer to see better, her room had only a few candles lightening it up; it couldn't get people's attention.

And then, the captain suddenly just hugged her. He didn't say anything, but there was a lot going on in his mind. He was hugely joyful that she was alive, his somewhat little girl, even though not by blood. However, he was also feeling deeply sorrowful as well, because at that moment, looking at her with the darkish her, she had never looked so much alike her mother, yet, so different.

Roderick had loved Leanne; actually, a part of him would always love her, even if she weren't around anymore. And when she died, he just couldn't stay there anymore, and that's why he went back to Salus City with baby Dipper. He had wished to see the girl growing, though. He just couldn't stay without Leanne there.

When Mabel was around four, he entered the palace trough the passages to check on her. Back then, she was a beautiful little girl, full of energy and that already resembled Leanne. He thought about taking her away that minute. Take her to Salus City and raise her with Dipper. But that would only scare her; it was best for her to stay there.

He only laid eyes on her years later, when they got her kidnapped. His plan was that she'd want to come with him, when she'd be old enough to choose if she wanted to stay in the palace or have an adventurous life style. He had seen her walking around the palace's corridors, before Dipper approached her. From that moment forward, he had started to see Leanne on Mabel and forecast her decisions based on his experience with her mother. Leanne had chosen to stay in the palace; she told him she needed to, but never told him why. So he thought Mabel would be just like her, she'd eventually choose to stay and so he tried not to get too close from her.

It took him a while to look at her as a total different being. Mabel looked like her mother, but she was not Leanne. The queen's death had devastated Roderick, and in fact, he was finding it difficult to stay strong with the news of the princess's death just hours earlier. And now, here she was, with dark hair and looking like the one he missed the most, yet, she was alive. Mabel was not like her mother; she was stronger and different. Just different. And she was leaving the palace alive, after all.

When he finally let her go, he was glad the room was dark enough to hide any trace of wetness on his eyes.

"So, you're leaving, right?" Mary asked, her sad voice breaking the deadly silence.

"Yes. I couldn't stay anyway."

"So I'm losing you one way or another. At least I didn't lose you for real. Please come visit me once in a while. With Dipper as well, obviously." The woman glanced at the boy, who just smiled.

"Of course, aunt Mary!" Mabel stated hugging her once again.

"And don't you ever keep secrets from me!" Mary couldn't help saying it.

"I won't. But, you know, it's not like you've been 100% honest with me… Why have you never told me about Stantre?"

"How do you know about it?"

Apart from aunt and niece, no one knew exactly what they were talking about. Sure Mabel told some things to Candy and Grenda, but she didn't have the time to clarify everything.

Mabel looked down before she could look her aunt in the eye. She took a deep breath and explained simply, "Gideon knows."

"Excuse me, what does that despiteful little man knows that I don't?" Dipper couldn't help asking. Mary looked at him for a moment then at Mabel. Her explanation was especially for her nice and nephew.

"I was born in Stantre as princess. Your mother was crown princess." Dipper didn't need to ask what that meant, he knew that the 'crown' title was given to those who'd inherit the crown and would be queen or king.

"Wait, but… Gideon said I was in the succession line, but if that's the case, I wouldn't just be in the line, I'd be crown princess there as well as here. But I didn't know and that doesn't make sense."

"All I know is that we left running away. I was only two and Leanne was around seven when we got here. We never returned to Stantre. I don't know what happened, Leanne did. However, she never told me. She kept saying it was better for me not to know. Though your father knows more about it, Mabel."

"Then I guess now is the perfect time to talk to my father."

"Wait, what? You're talking to him?" Dipper asked confused.

"Of course. I would never leave without speaking to him."

"But what if he makes you stay? What if he doesn't let you go?" And she lightly touched her lips on his for a brief moment. She couldn't help it; he was absolutely adorable when he was worried.

"He can't do that, Dip. Princess Mabel is now dead. I am a pirate now." Dipper had to contain himself, she said it in a very sexy tone that all he wanted to do was to hug and kiss her deeply (and maybe even use that huge bed). However, he knew that it was not the time or place, especially with so many people around. "Now, take this." She gave him the golden locket. "You'll give it back to me when you get it fixed."

He agreed, but he was reluctant to let her go; Dipper didn't want to lose sight of her, part of him still fearing that this might be just a dream, which he'd wake up with bad news. But then he kept saying it was ridiculous of him keep thinking like that. Mabel bit farewell to her dearest friends, hugging them and promising she'd visit them every time they got near the capitol. Then, Candy and Grenda left, they needed to go and lay low so they wouldn't attract attention.

Roderick got everything Mabel need to take with her and said he'd go beforehand and wait for both at the inn. Dipper stayed in her bedroom, he'd wait for her.

* * *

 **Just out of curiosity, the poison that Mabel used actually exists, it was the same that Juliet (from Romeo and Juliet) used, which, if I'm not mistaken, it was Tetrodotoxin or Belladona (aka Deadly Nightshade).**

 **So, did you like it? Please don't forget to tell me in a review! The story is almost over and reviews are gonna make me very happy! I'd love to know what you guys think of the story until now!**

 **N** **ext chap will have a lot of explanations and understandings about all the plot behind a everything, so nothing will be left out.**

 ** _Itban Fuyu_**


	34. 33 - Understandings

**OMG! I can't believe this is the last chap! It seems like it was yesterday the I had the idea for this story! And now, it's almost over!**

 **I'd like to thank everyone that read and reviewed this fic! It certainly means a lot to me! :D**

 **And, now, as usual, the answers to the Guest reviewers!**

 **Guest (Feb 29): Thanks so much for reviewing! I'm so happy you're loving it! :D**

 **Guest "G" (Mar 1): Yeah, but not that many, I can still recognize you, right? I'm happy that I was able to get it right, lol. Anyway, Don't worry, it was not your fault, you don't need to apologize, but thanks, now I won't be confused! And yes! You knew it, indeed! But did you know the reference with Romeo and Juliet would be like that? If you don't mind, could you tell me what you imagined? I'd like to know, and you were the only one that mentioned Romeo and Juliet... Yeah, Mabel is very cool, I really like her in the series, she's my favorite character, but I think she turned out better and cooler than I had imagined in this fic! I feel sorry for Mary too, and I really like her character, she's very nice, but Mabel couldn't stay anymore. And yeah, Mabel will visit often, that'll help Mary. And yes! She should totally wait for Gideon to leave, but she couldn't, she had to speak soon with her father and she couldn't stay in the palace for too long. If I made a sequel (and I said IF, because I'm not writing it, sorry), Gideon would probably see her leaving the palace in the middle of the night after talking to her father. Now, you can finally find out what happened in Stantre, everything is explained in this chap! I hope you'll like it! :D**

 **Guest (Mar6): Thank you for reviewing! It's great to know you love this fic! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 33**

 **Understandings**

Meanwhile, Mary and Mabel headed to the King Albert's office, where he was. Mary made an excuse to get rid of the guards around so Mabel could get inside without a problem or being recognized; even though she was using a cloak and a hood to cover her face. The niece hugged her beloved aunt for a long while; they knew that this was farewell.

As they parted, Mabel took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"I said I do not want to be disturbed!" Her father's voice came from inside, his tone was husky, harsh and angry. She ignored it and entered anyway, turning to close the door as she gathered up enough courage to turn to his father without scaring him to death. "Can't you understand I don't want to see anyone at the moment!" He yelled.

She gulped; it was so rare to see her father losing his temper like that. And so she pulled the hood down and turned to face him. The room was dark, very dark, actually. The king was sitting at his large table, behind him, a window with the open curtains, the only source of light was the moon, and not even a candle was lit up. On the table, there were a lot of papers and books as always, but the king wasn't looking at them, he probably just didn't want to go to bed.

Her slow steps echoed loudly through the silent office. He huffed furious and when he finally looked up, Albert gasped; Mabel could see his eyes widening as she got closer.

"Madison…" He whispered astonished. Mabel rolled her eyes, guessing he only said her name because he could probably see that her hair was darker then her usual chestnut color.

"No. I might look like her, but I'm _not_ my mother. How many times do I have to repeat it?"

"For heavens! I'm seeing ghosts now. I must be insane." He sighed and lowered his head, hiding his face on his hand. She tilted her head, wondering how he managed to go from furious to sorrow so quickly. In fact, he was more than sorrow; he seemed… defeated.

"I'm not a ghost, father. If I were, I wouldn't need to use the door. Just look at me for a moment, I need to speak to you." Mabel finally made her way to him, walking around the table to lightly touch his shoulder and get his attention. Albert tensed and looked up. "I'm alive, father."

"What… But… You cannot be… I must be going insane, indeed. There was a funeral and I saw you dead." Being so close, she could now see the traces of tears in his eyes; after all, the man thought he had just buried his daughter. The sight broke her heart in a million pieces.

"It wasn't real. I faked my death, father. And if I didn't do it, I'd have been dead for real."

"What?"

Mabel pushed some papers away and sat on the table in front of him. He was still very confused and probably thinking it was some sort of dream, but here she was, sitting on the tables was so typical of Mabel and he always told her not to do this.

"Apparently, my food was poisoned… I'm so very sorry for deceiving you and everyone. But… I couldn't keep this up. I couldn't live avoiding death like that all the time. And I definitely could not marry Gideon."

"I don't understand…"

"Father, you know I've always wanted to go and see the world. I've never fit in this place. Now it's my chance to go and be free… My chance to live without having my life being threatened every day. Honestly, I don't know how I lived that long… I mean, my own family wanted to get rid of me…"

"That's nonsense, what are you talking about?"

"Hmm… Aunt Northwest… Didn't you know?"

"Mabel, she's my sister, she'd never harm my own daughter. Why do you say that?"

"She hired pirates to get me out of the way…"

"If that's true I'll… I'll do much worse with her."

"No, father. Don't do that. I'm not harmed, anyway. Though I was indeed scared she could do something. All she wanted was to take my place, but I've forgiven her now. However, I kinda wanted her away from the palace…"

"Well, if that's what she wanted, she's still not getting it. She and her husband are going to go on a long trip to any little town she despises." He said angrily, with Mabel out of the way, her aunt was the next in line to the crown, but Albert could delay it and do something so it cold pass to the next one, her daughter, Pacifica. Still, something still puzzled him. "But I thought they got you for ransom."

"Not Roderick. Other pirates. Roderick and his crew saved me from them. And they were very kind to me. "

"I don't know what kind of lies he told you, but he's not what he seems to be."

"He told me everything."

Albert gulped and shifted very uncomfortable, his voice came deep and serious. "I'm still your father." Mabel smiled.

"Of course. I never doubted that. Well, maybe for a minute or two, but I'm over that." He tried to hide that he was actually surprised with her answer. "And now, I need you to be honest with me. Why did you want so badly to marry me with Gideon? Why did you say it was for my own good?"

"And why did you say you couldn't marry Gideon? He's a very admirable prince, he's gentleman."

"I asked first."

"I am your father." He said in his demanding tone.

"I'm your daughter, not a subject to simply obey. I need to know this and I deserve to know. I'm not a child anymore."

He sighed heavily, annoyed and defeated. "Fine. I'll tell you." Mabel blinked, confused. She didn't expect him to finally just listen to her _that_ easy. He never really listened to her anyway. Maybe the thought of losing her had some great effects on him. "But only if you tell me what's wrong with Gideon first. What I have to say is very extensive and complicated."

"Fine. To sum it up, He's jus a two-faced jerk with a forked tongue, pretending to be an angel but all he wanted was power and kingdoms to rule. He threatened me to marry him or else he'd engage in war against us, but then, I found out he only wanted to marry me because he knew I could also inherit Stantre and he wanted to rule more kingdoms, even if he had to start wars for it. And I doubt he'd stop at that, with three big kingdoms in his hands, he'd be able to conquer lots of others."

"Wait, you know about Stantre?"

"Father! Was that the only part you were paying attention?"

"Obviously not. But how come that you know about?"

"Gideon! He knew it and he told me. He was actually surprised I didn't know… Anyway, now is your turn. I need to know everything. I can't stay anymore; I can't live like that. So you need to tell me so I won't be caught off of guard again."

"So you're leaving. With Roderick." He stated, his voice deep and unacceptable.

"I'm not leaving because of him. I'm leaving because here I can't have the life I want. And… I met someone. And I love him."

"It is that new servant boy, isn't it?" That took her by surprise. She'd never imagine her father was _that_ observant. She didn't need to say anything, her startled expression answered for her. "I knew it. The way he acted around you and the way you defended him… There was something more to it. He is related to Roderick, isn't he?"

"How would you know?"

"He awfully resembles that scum of a pirate."

"Father!" She lightly scolded. "Stop calling him names and will just please tell me why you thought it would be better for me to marry Gideon?"

He sighed and stood up, that was a very delicate subject and it made him quite nervous.

"Because you're not safe here anymore. As you grow older, you get closer to inherit the crown and once you do, your position will threaten who's ruling Stantre right now."

"Aunt Mary told me my mom was supposed to be Stantre's crown princess? But, how come? I never even knew about that."

"We hid it to protect you. Even though some people discovered it, apparently…"

"Mary said that she and my mom ran away from there. Is it true?"

"Indeed." She suddenly jumped off the table, too nervous as well to stay sitting. Looking through the window, he couldn't see her eyes begging to know why, but he knew she wanted to know. "When I was around nine and your mother was almost seven, our parents wanted to unite both kingdoms, so they set us up. However, there was a rebellion, some people killed almost her entire family so they could rule. My Madison and Mary were just children, and since we were great allies at the time, the girl's nanny managed to grab both and escape to get here in disguise. My parents offered them sanctuary, but at first, they wanted to call off the wedding. They ended up keeping their promise anyway, and I'd wed Leanne Madison. Meanwhile, I fell in love with her…"

"So you all hid Mary's and mom's origins? Or tried to from the beginning? What happened next?"

"Madison loved me, but only as a brother. We grew together in this castle and she didn't want to call this off anyway. She was compromised as much as I was and she was willing to give it her best. She wanted to be a great queen; so in order to understand the difficulties of her people, she decided to spend a month in the city, with the peasants. She stayed at the house of a loyal servant's family, and she even paid them for letting her stay. At the time, I thought she wanted to spend the month in a friends mansion, she made good friends in this kingdom."

"Was that when she met…" She trailed off, not knowing if she should really finish the question of not.

"I don't know. Probably, because as soon as she was back, a new servant appeared. He wasn't the only one, though. There were a few new servants as well, so I didn't know at first. I was young and naïve as well; it took me a while to realize the new servant after her was the man she was in love with, a few months, actually. I manipulated some things to get rid of him; flame him for a reason that could get him hanged without endangering Madison. But then, when I had everything planned, about a month after our marriage, we got the news that she was pregnant. I was so stupid because only then, I realized that when the news got to Stantre's ruler, they'd see Madison's offspring as threat. We tried to hide the fact she was with child as long as we could and I soon put more men to guard her."

"I've heard mother got sick in my pregnancy… Was that true or was it someone from Stantre?"

"From the start, it was not an easy pregnancy. In fact, that was why I didn't frame Roderick right away. Everything was settled, but then I had to make a choice. As much as I don't want to admit, I knew Madison liked that dirty peasant, and lose him so sudden could be a shock, which could lead her to lose the baby, especially because she was already on bed rest. So I waited, because I didn't want her to lose the baby, or in the case, you. I'd frame him after the baby's birth."

"But you didn't." Mabel concluded, after all, she had seen Roderick alive and well and that could only be because her father didn't frame him or because the pirate had ran away on time.

"I didn't, because I didn't need to anymore. The day you were born, I was unfortunately away, taking care of business. I came back as soon as I could, but then, you were already born and Roderick was nowhere to be found. I didn't care much as long as I didn't see him again. However, even if I did see him again, it wouldn't matter any longer, because your mother was killed almost two days after you came into this world."

"Wait, killed? I thought she died giving birth to me…"

"No. If that were the case, she would have died the same day or maybe the next day, tops. Not two days. However, I ordered the doctor to diagnosis her due to complications giving birth, instead of being murdered. We covered the traces of the truth from everyone."

"But, why?"

"Because I wanted to protect you. If Stantre's ruler knew he almost got that close, he could think it'd be easier to do it again. From that moment forward, I had to protect you. I locked and protected the castle even more and I increased the royal guard, leaving the most loyal people to guard you. I didn't want them circling you, though, so I ordered them to keep some distance. I didn't want to scare you or raise any sort of gossip that that could lead you thinking you were not safe. I lost count of how many attempts of murderer I successfully prevented."

Mabel took a few deep breaths.

"So that was why you never let me leave the palace."

"Indeed. The only exception I made was to take you to Marenia because you needed treatment. It was very hard and I could barely sleep then."

"Father… What truly happened with mom? Please tell me."

He sighed and looking in her eyes, not really sure if he should tell her or not. Then, he made up his mind. She had to know, even though he didn't want to say it.

"The night they killed her, Madison was in the nursery, with you. A warrior managed to trespass my guards, killing only a few of them. I was here in my office when I heard a servant's yell; I grabbed my sword and went to check it out. I was surprised to see the guards on the floor. And then I was terrified when I heard your mother screaming not far from there. So I ran to the nursery. But when I got there, it was already too late to save her. At least, I got to save you. Madison did her best, though. There were signs of struggle when I got there. I believe that if she hadn't fought, I wouldn't have been able to save you."

Mabel now had tears in her eyes. "So… Was it my fault? Because I was born? Because she was trying to protect me?"

"No. Of course not. You are _not_ to blame. The fault relies on those who took the throne from your mother's parents. And maybe even mine for allowing them to get so close to her."

"You couldn't have known. You did all you could."

"I could have let her go… But I just couldn't. I wanted her with me; I hoped I could make her fall in love with me. When Madison came back from her month away, I noticed she was different. Soon, she revealed she loved someone else and asked me not to marry her, Mary was only 14 and she agreed on staying on Madison's place. But I didn't. Instead, I told Madison that if she didn't marry me, the relationship of our families would be over. That meant she'd have to leave and take Mary with her. I knew she had gone through a very difficult time when she ran away from Stantre, she had seen many friends and family members dying that night. She was scared something like that could happen again, but she and her sister were safe here and she knew it. I was so selfish that I ended up losing her anyway. I know you're probably very disappointed on me right now."

"I'm not disappointed. And I forgive you. You're human; you make mistakes. I never met my mom, but even though she was probably upset in having to make that choice, I know she didn't hate you. You might have been selfish, but you did everything you could do redeem yourself and protect me the way you thought it was best my whole life." Mabel hugged him, not remembering when was the last time she did so. "I love you, daddy."

"And I love you, my daughter." He replied, embracing her back and caressing her hair behind her head. Albert gulped and sighed heavily. "I know I was not able to love Madison enough to let her go, but I will let you."

"Thanks, daddy." The girl replied, there were traces of tears in her eyes, but she had a beautiful and wide smile on her lips. "It's not farewell. I can come back anytime when I'm missing you and Mary too much. And my friends as well. I know about some secret passages so I can get in and out without being seen. So don't worry, I'll definitely come and visit."

King Albert nodded and backed away just a little to face her, as if he was memorizing her features.

"I'll be waiting. Now go, I wouldn't want you to be spotted by anyone."

"Don't worry, everyone must be sleeping now. Just send Gideon back to his kingdom and he'll never know about me." He nodded and she jumped to kiss his cheek, right above his short red beard. "See you next time." And so she left, closing the door behind her.

* * *

 **Now, there's only the epilogue left! I hope that this chap explained everything and all the decisions King Albert did!**

 **Since the story is almost ending, I'd like to say that a reviewer once asked if there'd be a sequel to this fic, and the thing is that it won't... I'm sorry. However, I liked this story so much that I want to transform it into an original one, with lot's of changes and different characters, though the same plot. And I also want to make it a trilogy, instead of just one book. There'll be a lot more intrigue with the people in Stantre and the princess will try to find out who was the one who ordered to kill her mother. And in the new version of the story, I'm creating a religion that will be sort of important, as well as the fact that, in this world, people use to have gifts, unique talents, Mabel's, for example, is probably going to be able to "read" people, which is not as cool as Dipper's but it's what she'll need. Meanwhile, Dipper's gift is to have some dreams that's gonna give him tips of many things throughout the trilogy once he can understand them.**

 **I can't say a lot of details, because it's a work in progress yet, but, anyway, I'm currently writing it on Portuguese, because I'm publishing it here in Brazil. I hope to be able to turn it to English eventually, though. Anyway, I'll be posting news on my DA account (I'm working on the character designs and the map of the world now) and maybe even update this fic if I get to publish it.**

 **Thank you all for reading and wait tight until the epilogue! :D**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


	35. Epilogue

_Hi! Just so you know, I'm a writer and getting my first novel published by a publishing house here in Brazil. It's going to be translated to English soon, so if you liked my writing and want to see original content stay tuned and please consider helping me on Patrion (the link is on my profile), I'm trying to create more original content in English and Portuguese but I need help so I can hire people to review the texts so I can deliver them with better quality to all of you!_

 **.**

 **Oh, guys! Thanks soooooo very much much for all the support you've been giving me throughout the fic and especially all the great reviews from last chap! It means a lot to me! I'm so very grateful for all your support! :D**

 **So, here are the answers to the Guest review:**

 **Guest "G": Yeah, I know the feeling, it seems like it was yesterday that I started... I can't believe it's over now... And I understand, I didn't really like Pinecest at first too, now I'm already used to it... (so, from what I understand, you do have an account, right? I understand you don't want to review with it because of the Pinecest theme, but thanks anyway for reviewing it, and, just so you know, you can PM me if you ever want to ask me something, just remember to say you're the "G" guest reviewer, lol). And yeah, it's sad I won't be posting anymore, and this time, I even got to update sooner, since the epilogue was short. And yes, I remember you saying it, I imagined you'd have thought it'd be something tragic, and believe me, sometime I wish I could write tragic stuff, but I just can't... It's so hard to make my characters suffer too much... I was writing the past things that happened with the parents of the main characters in my new original story, and I actually cried during some parts and it wasn't even so tragic... lol... Anyway, thanks for liking my version of the story! And you know what? I also like Albert a lot. Not at first, but as I started to understand him better as a character, I just couldn't help but like him, he's one of the few characters I ever made that actually feels absolutely real, at least to me... And thanks so much for saying you found my writing so good, you can't imagine how happy I am whenever someone compliments my writing! And, yes, Mabel couldn't tell that to her father, at least not in that moment... Lastly, thanks so much for all your wonderful reviews (the longer, the better! I'm just sorry this answer is so big, I talk too much) and support with the excitement for the trilogy! I'm also very excited for that! I'm very happy you came across this fic and reviewed so much! I won't be able to answer you again, but don't forget how grateful I am! :D**

* * *

 **Epilogue**

 **It's About Time**

Mabel left her father's office and started heading to her room, to get Dipper and go leave at once.

However, she didn't arrive right away. First, she needed to go to one last place. Everything was still very dark, but she knew how to get there with her eyes closed. It was a spot, in the middle of a corridor, facing a window so the moonlight shined upon it. Mabel set down and looked up, gazing at a huge painting on the wall. She let her knees up and embraced her legs.

She tried to memorize every detail of the painting, after all, it was her favorite and she didn't know when she'd be able to see it again. So concentrated, she almost jumped seeing a figure walking towards her on her peripheral vision. She didn't even heard footsteps approaching before, but when she turned, she calmed herself seeing Dipper walking.

"I couldn't wait anymore, I was worried. And you took a while, why are you here?" She pointed to the painting in front of her, he stopped walking when he was just inches from the girl and looked to the wall. "Wow. It's beautiful. Is that… you?" And he turned to her again.

"No. It's mom." Surprised, he slowly followed her gaze again, looking at it with a totally different perspective. It was still awkward to remember the fact that they're actually related. He couldn't help but sit down by Mabel's side, looking at the picture. "Sometimes, when I was a kid and got upset, I'd come here to look at it and pretend to talk to her. Do you think it's weird?"

"Well, you are weird and unique. But I think I'd have done the same if I had something like that. I never knew how she looked like, though. She was only a name my dad mentioned once in a while."

"I'm sorry, Dip."

"It's okay. And I guess now I know why it is so hard for my dad to accept us together, you do look a lot like her."

"Just don't tell him that."

"Do you think I'm stupid? He's finally starting to get somewhat used to us."

"Yeah, I guess so…" She mumbled, still looking at it and she gulped. "My father told me that she saved me."

"What?"

"She died saving me. She was killed in the nursery when I was a baby. It was a similar situation to the library we've been through. There was only one man, though. When my father got to the nursery, it was too late to save mom, but he could at least save me in the nick of the time."

"So… They've been trying to kill you since you were a baby…" He concluded, feeling sorry for her and not really knowing what to do. "But I don't get it. Why?"

"I'll tell you later, okay?"

Dipper nodded in agreement and stayed in silent for a while.

"By the way, here it is." He broke the silence as he pushed her hood down and grabbing the golden necklace chain over her head. The locket now closed landed on her chest. "I managed to close it, but I'll have a professional to fix it by the morning."

"Thanks." She said softly, noticing he seemed too cheerful as he took something else from his pocket and handed her. Mabel grabbed it and with a puzzled look, she asked, "What's this?"

"Open it." Not questioning him, she slowly started to unfold the very old sheet of paper that looked like a tiny square. When she finally finished the task, she looked at it cautiously, but before she could ask anything, he clarified, "It's a map. A treasure map."

"But… how? Where did you find it?"

"It was inside your pendant; mom's pendant. Believe it or not."

"What? Seriously? I never thought there was something inside it."

"But there was. And it's great. And do you know what does that mean?"

"No. What?"

"It's a great excuse for the crew not to want to take you back. Because that could happen, though they were already getting used to you. And they do respect my dad a lot, so it'd not be easy for them to do a riot to get some money. But this could be the perfect excuse to buy us some time until they get completely used to you and you can join the crew for real. That and the money that stupid dandy prince gave us to take you."

"That's great. And about that, I have a request."

"What?"

"Can we not raid my father's ships anymore?"

"Oh… That was unexpected. You just can't stop surprising me. I guess we could change for a different main target. What do you think in raiding Gideon's ships?"

"I was thinking about the ones from Stantre."

"Sure. We can talk to my dad. Though I doubt he'd say no to you." Dipper said, playfully rolling his eyes, knowing he'd do the same.

"Especially after I tell him they murdered our mom's family so they could take over the throne and so they've been trying to kill me since I was born."

"Wait, _what_?" He asked, trying to control himself not to yell.

"It's a very complicated story that I'm still taking it in, I'll explain everything for you and Roderick tomorrow, okay?"

"Not fair, I won't be able to sleep, now."

"No need to worry, they think I'm dead, so I'm safe."

"That was not it, of course you're safe; you're with me. But now I'm curious." He complained and she chuckled.

"By the way, what are those letters and numbers?"

"I think they're codes. Hints that will lead to the treasure. I don't know what they mean, yet, but I'm sure I can find out. I've heard about treasures like that in books at Anwril's Library. Oh, maybe we could go there, I could look it out, find some clues about it." He said, cheerful and energetic. Mabel just smiled at him and grabbed his shirt to pull him closer.

"You're such an adorable, dorky nerd." The girl announced before giving him a quick kiss on his lips. He smiled and took her hand in his.

"So, are you ready to live your life with adventures with a dashing, handsome pirate?"

"You forgot the sexy part."

"No, I didn't. I wanted you to say it." Dipper revealed, grinning devilishly.

Mabel rolled her eyes playfully before she folded the paper again and gave to him; the pirate quickly put it safely in his pocket. The girl stood up and helped him get on his feet as well, still injured, it was difficult for him to move as freely or easily as he was used to, but he was getting better.

"Now, let's get out of this palace, shall we?"

"It's about time." Dipper agreed.

Both took one last glance at the picture and left, holding each other's hands; they were ready to face anything that would come their way, together.

* * *

 **If you liked it, please consider helping me on Patrion, the link is on my profile :D**

 **.**

 **So, now this is really the end for this fic! I hope you all enjoyed! :D**

 **I know this chap was short, but it was just a a cute epilogue for you, guys! And, since it was short, I got to update earlier than usual!**

 **I really enjoyed writing it and, as you know, I'm turning it into an original story and I'm getting really excited with it! I'm changing a lot of things, but, even so, I'd really like you all to point specific things you like or didn't like throughout the fic, so I can make it even better in the original story! That would certainly help me out a lot!**

 **And don't forget to keep an eye on my DA account once in a while, I intend to post stuff about the new story of "The Princess and the Pirate" sometime in a near future.**

 **Also, I might write a Pinecest oneshot plot bunny that I can't get rid off... Or at least it might be a sibling-centered oneshot, I'm not sure yet, it just came to me today...**

 **So, thank you all for your great support and reviews of those that kept reading it until the end! :D**

 _ **Itban Fuyu**_


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